Sustainability made crystal clear

An insight into life in the year 2050 was among the highlights of the Geoexplorers Club trip to The Crystal – a building in London’s docklands housing a permanent exhibition about sustainable development. The boys also enjoyed taking part in a number of interactive challenges during the visit.

Owned and operated by Siemens and based in the Royal Victoria Dock, The Crystal focuses on urban sustainability and aims to offers the opportunity for discovery and learning. The site includes ten zones, which each explore a different aspect of life in cities.
During a tour, the boys watched a video on population growth and demographic change in the futuristic cinema, known as The Pumpkin.

This was followed by a tour of the attraction’s museum, which had designated displays on topics such as Forces of Change, Smart Buildings and Healthy Life. The boys also learned about the eco-friendly design of the building itself, which uses 100% renewable energy, including solar power.

Geography teacher Helena Yovichich, who organised the day, commented that the experience complemented and expanded upon classroom discussions. “The trip was excellent,” said Year 8 Geoexplorer, Druv Kadam. “I really enjoyed it, it made me think even more about a geographical view of the future of our lives and how sustainable the world will be with ever-growing pollution and population. I’d recommend a visit to The Crystal any day!”

The boys took part in a number of activities, which included creating their own electricity and building sustainable houses, as well as managing cities whilst trying not run out of money.

The Crystal also offered real-life experiences of everyday items that could be adapted in the future. “This showed us how our future technological lives will be forever evolving and changing to become more helpful and safe; it was really interesting,” added Druv.

To round the trip off, the group enjoyed seeing a different view of the capital as they travelled on the London Cable Car, which crosses the River Thames between the Royal Docks near Canning Town and the Greenwich Peninsula.