Saltus Year 9 Design and Technology students were assigned an architectural project with their choice of one of two topics: to create a new art museum for Bermuda, or to design an entrance for a new local hotel. In carrying out this assignment, the students employed a variety of skills including interpreting design briefs, research and analysis and computer modelling.To allow S9 students the opportunity to see the subject of architecture design in the “real world,” Design Technology Department Head Phillip Heap coordinated with Ms Susan Behrens, Director and Senior Architect of OBM International, to provide a guided tour of OBM architects. During this visit, students learned about which university courses they would need to take to become an architect and the various specialities (e.g., landscape architect) in the field of architecture. They were shown OBM’s winning presentation for the new hospital, and a few had the opportunity to present their own projects and received feedback on their designs from the architects at OBMFrancesca Maiden reported: “My visit to OBM Architects was a very interesting experience because I learned a variety of new things. They showed us many of the company’s displays, which helped me to gain knowledge about presentation of ideas and models (i.e. using the computer, working out proportions, using materials and drawing things manually). Many of the displays related to my current assignment: to design a unique hotel entrance that appeals to a universal audience and has an aspect of Bermuda. During my visit, I learned that architecture requires skills one wouldn’t expect to be necessary, and that it is a lot of hard work.”“My visit to OBM architects was fun and very interesting,” observed Sam Wehmeyer, “because we got to see all of the different projects that they have been working on and how they can use the computer to make the model look realistic. To be honest, the work that we have been doing in class such as the Google Sketch up model that we did in class is not much different from the OBM architects, but, of course, they have more knowledge of all of the slopes of the ground and more advanced computer programs.”