Celebrating Our Final London Session of 2025 at SMSJ – Empowering the Next Generation of Designers and Thinkers

Last month, we delivered the final session of our SGP + You and Brief Cases programme at St Mary’s and St John’s CE School (SMSJ), marking the end of this academic year’s London series. Dan Jones, Studio Director at our London office, led the final classroom session, capping off a powerful 10-week experience that immersed students in architecture, sustainability and real-world design thinking.

The SGP + You Architecture and Sustainability – looking to the future programme continues to grow in scope and impact. Thanks to our collaboration with The Heaven Company and the unwavering support of Mr Rakesh Patel, Head of Design and Technology at SMSJ, every Year 8 student in the school has now experienced our 10-week timetabled programme. That’s over 100 students learning directly about architecture, sustainability, and the built environment – many of whom are considering new creative paths for their GCSEs and careers.

Throughout the 10 weeks, students explored themes such as masterplanning, construction terminology, biodiversity and ecology, sustainable materials, sourcing, and the design of interiors and exteriors. The programme goes beyond theory. It helps shape GCSE choices and introduces career pathways in architecture, construction and the built environment that students may not have previously considered. Colleagues from across SGP contributed their time and knowledge, adding authentic voices from a variety of architectural disciplines into the classroom.

We’re particularly proud that this programme now reaches every Year 8 student at SMSJ, an inclusive and structured initiative that has become an integral part of the school’s curriculum. With the continued guidance of Mr Rakesh Patel and the support of The Heaven Company, this partnership continues to flourish.

This kind of work reflects our broader commitment to inspiring and developing the next generation of architects, something we also celebrated recently in our feature on Annie Beeton, who joins SGP for her year-out placement starting this summer. Read more about Annie’s journey and our support for young architectural talent here: Welcome Annie Beeton to the Practice – SGP

The success of this programme, which proudly won The Planet Mark Award for Best Sustainability Campaign, reflects the power of partnership: between business and education, creativity and structure, sustainability and design. We’re proud to be playing our part in connecting education with practice, opening doors for the next wave of talent, and ensuring a more sustainable future through design.