On the 21^st of July the team of Travelling Architecture Workshop with the green project van arrived in Pagiriai, the district of Kėdainiai. A pleasant coincidence: the village in the middle of Lithuania marks a middle of the project. The colorful volunteers’ team consisting of architects and architecture students was greeted by Pagiriai community center manager and active event planner Daiva Noreikienė.

The first day the volunteers built a project’s tent and met curious and active local children. The young participants soon became local guides: they showed the volunteers the places to meet with friends, to spend free time, to play various games. Their tour included a visit to the park, school stadium, playgrounds and fitness grounds, as well as the city's central square, the linden alley and the mountain, on which birthday celebrations were held in the summer. After seeing all the sights and hearing a lot of stories, nobody wanted to go to sleep – the laughter of children and volunteers echoed around the town until late in the evening.

 The next day early in the morning the meeting with the children started by playing and proposing ideas that could be implemented during the workshop. Sketching and discussions started - children in groups discussed the places that could be improved in the town and then presented their proposals for everybody. After the presentations, it became clear that one of the coziest and most frequently visited places is the school playground so it was selected for further work. Children decided to create new the benches for relaxing after sport activities, to renew the basketball courts and to make swings.

The next day plans were modified by rainy weather and the workshop was moved to a school gym. The children’s eagerness for work surprised not only volunteers, but also their parents and teacher - until late evening the children were sweeping and eliminating the moss from the basketball field.

On the last day the works were accomplished: new basketball boards the field, basket stands painted, benches finished and swing hung. The traditional discussion afterwards with children was memorable, useful and fun. Children enjoyed the fruits of their labor and were surprised that in such a short time joined forces can make possible so much.

In the evening renewed playground was full of young people and swings were constantly swayed. Children sincere smile was the best evaluation for the volunteer’s team.

Pagiriai (Kėdainiai district)

July 21-24, 2013

RESULT: cleaned and renewed basketball court; new basketball boards done and repainted stands; new checker, twister, snake game painted on the ground; the area cleaned from the grass; new swings made from old tires; new benches made and spread in the most active public spaces in the village.

VOLUNTEERS: Evelina Sabeckaitė (curator), Sandra Šlepikaitė, Evaldas Dumčius, Eglė Mikalonytė, Eimantas Tinginys, Kornelija Sabeckaitė, Mantas Danius, Gabija Rutkūnaitė.

IN-PLACE COORDINATOR: Daiva Noreikienė.

Travelling Architecture Workshop - the first large-scale project by Architecture [Children] Fund, which took place in 2013 during the summer holidays. It aims to draw children and village residents attention to the everyday human environment. The project seeks to demonstrate that to take care of the public environment and to foster real changes could be done without a lot of material and human resources.

Architecture [Children] Fund is a volunteering based initiative that develops and implements educational programs for children and youth about architecture and living enviroment.