3. THE PRINCE’S FOUNDATION TEACHES and DEMONSTRATES SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PLACING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT at the HEART of its WORK.
The Prince’s Foundation teaches and demonstrates sustainable development placing community engagement at the heart of our work.
The environment within which people live affects the way they live. We believe that sustainably planned, built and maintained communities improve the quality of life of everyone who’s part of them. They help us to both live better at a local level and start dealing with the broader global challenges of urbanisation and climate change.
By actively and passionately promoting traditional principles, as well as understanding the importance of building in a more sustainable way, we've seen a resurgence in striving for easily achieved improvements in public health, and affordable, livelier and safer streets and communities.
Our goal is a future where all of us can take part in making our communities more sustainable. We’re working with everyone from local residents’ groups to governments to make it happen.

4. We equip professionals, GRADUATES STUDENTS and the general PUBLIC with the SKILLS they NEED to design, BUILD and preserve SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
Over the last 25 years, the Prince's Foundation has developed strong working partnerships with many of the leading stakeholders in urban design and architecture, both in the UK and internationally.
By actively and passionately promoting both a diligent application of time-tested principles, as well as a deeper understanding of the importance of building in a more sustainable way, there has been a burgeoning recognition of the possibility of easily achieved improvements in public health, and affordable, livelier and safer streets and communities.
Another of our fundamental beliefs is that lives and livelihoods can be enhanced and improved simply by implementing proper planning consultations, as well as through the practice of timeless and ecological design and build processes. The strength of such communities, and the value of such lifestyles will have long and far reaching benefits not only for the people living within them, but also in economic terms, both locally and nationally.

5. BUILDING SKILL PROGRAMME
Our Building Skill Programme offers something for everyone.
Building Skill in Crafts – Traditional craft skills are a living connection to our cultural heritage. Our Building Skill in Students programme helps fill the global skills shortage in traditional building crafts
By investing in education and sharing knowledge and practices now, we can create an invaluably rich legacy for generations to come.

6. Our Course provides practical experience in sustainable building crafts and an opportunity to gain a Heritage Skills NVQ 3.
Free to participate
Monthly bursary of £1,000/month
Accommodation provided throughout
3 week Summer School, 10 week Live Build and 4/5 months of placements

7. SUMMER SCHOOL

8. SUMMER SCHOOL

9. SUMMER SCHOOL

10. SUMMER SCHOOL
“The Summer School, with its rich content and experimental approach to learning, must be seen as an outstanding example of the Foundation’s philosophy at work”
Ken Cameron, Adjunct Professor of Urban Studies, Simon Fraser University

11. LIVE BUILD

12. LIVE BUILD

13. LIVE BUILD

14. LIVE BUILD

15. PLACEMENTS
5 Months of intensive placements on leading heritage sites with master craftspeople and traditional building companies.

16. BUILDING SKILL IN CRAFT
“I had the chance to combine my skills as a craftsman and passions as a designer…it’s nice to hear a respected craftsman say that my design has to be built somewhere”
Jonathan Briggs,
Building Crafts Apprentice, 2011/12 &Tutor 2012/13

17. BUILDING SKILL IN CRAFT
As I mentioned, The Building Crafts Apprenticeship starts with a 3 week Summer School.
We have 40 places each year. 12 places for our Building Crafts Apprentices, 6 places for our Graduate Fellows and the rest to fee paying delegates. We accept students from around the world with an interest in the built environment and a range of disciplines including architects, urban designers, urban planners, craftspeople, engineering, surveying and landscape architects.
The Summer School is made up of a series of lectures, workshops, drawing and building exercises and field trips and is designed to give participants an in-depth knowledge of traditional building and repair techniques and how these can be, applied in the 21st century.
The students all work together in teams throughout the 3 weeks and we make a point of everyone being equal.
On the first day, all the students are required to make a short 3 minute presentation on their background and use drawings and photographs to illustrate their work and where their interests lie. In the past, before we asked students to bring in a portfolio of their work, we found that often the craftspeople struggled to talk about their work but the architects (who were more confident about presenting) found it easy. Since asking them to bring a portfolio with them, we find it is the other way round and the architects etc are more impressed with the craftspeople.

18. BUILDING SKILL IN CRAFT
“In meeting the challenge of sustainability, we must first look within to what has worked in the past, and then evolve these approaches to meet today’s challenges, using the best of contemporary knowledge, skill and technology.”
HRH The Prince of Wales,
3 March 2008