The COPC workshop brought students aged 16–18 back to an idea they had already begun exploring in bamboo: how can a building say something about the place it belongs to? This time, the material was gingerbread. Students developed their designs through decoration and construction, drawing on Portsmouth’s architecture, maritime character and their own experiences of the city. Reuse ran through the work as a central idea - looking at what already exists and asking how it might be celebrated, reinterpreted or given a new life.

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There was plenty of room for things to go wrong: pieces broke, icing shifted and structures had to be reconsidered. These moments became part of the process. Students worked collectively to balance ambition with what the material would allow, thinking about scale, structure and how small details could strengthen a larger idea. The finished models became personal interpretations of Portsmouth and an exploration of how architecture can carry memory, identity and stories.