Architecture Centre Network works with the architecture centres in England and Northern Ireland to develop national and international initiatives with partners and lobbys and advocates for built environment education and the work of the centres.

Considered world leaders in built environment education, the architecture centres are a vibrant group of independent organisations working to help people make better places.

Centres actively promote and facilitate public involvement and engagement in the design of quality places and spaces at a local, regional and national level, in formal and informal settings. They have local, sub regional and regional remits in the UK and local knowledge, understanding and established relationships and partnerships.

With a user-centred focus, nationally, centres can offer, amongst other activities:

• All subject and cross-curricular teaching and learning
• Arts Award assessment
• Design Leadership Training for local authorities
• Design Quality Indicators for Schools
• Higher education instutions, graduate schemes, employability
• Key Stage and Construction and Built Environment Diploma focused teaching and learning
• Learning Outside the Classroom (LOTC) facilitation
• Lectures and debates, seminars and workshops, many of them free
• Placemaking activity
• Publications and resources, many of them free
• Spaceshaper and Spaceshaper 9-14 workshop delivery
• Community engagement and consultation
• Study tours, summer schools and delegations
• Sustained youth engagement in architecture and the built environment outside of school activities
• Teacher continuing professional development
• Teaching resources and schemes of work
• Visioning programmes for neighbourhood and wider planning
• Training for officers, housing associations and built environment professionals at all stages of their career, much of it accredited

Centres will:

• Deliver the sustainability and built environment agenda
• Develop children and young people as an expert client group and design advocates
• Develop design quality awareness
• Development all stakeholders understanding of the design and construction process
• Facilitate and empower communities to engage with design and planning
• Place architects in residence in schools
• Sit on expert client groups and consortia
• Train artists and built environment professionals in working with schools and young people
• Support and advise communities in projects