London Festival of Architecture 2016 highlights: From The Hive and the Sky Pool to a giant doll's house

Another stand-out event is Papers, a festival exploring the creativity buzzing within refugee camps

The aerial view of London from the Embassy Gardens, which will host a talk by the Sky Pool design team

June heralds the arrival of the London Festival of Architecture, a month-long celebration featuring an exciting range of more than 200 exhibitions, talks, projects and installations to enjoy.

From the creation of a Cardboard City using recycled materials and the Edible Bus Stop’s community garden project to The Great Architectural Bake-Off and a one day festival exploring the creative energy found in Europe’s refugee camp, the programme throws the spotlight onto our capital city’s leading cultural institutions, alongside practising architects and designers from up and down the country.

This year’s theme is Community and the role that architecture plays in developing and defining that spirit. Curated by director Tamsie Thomson, the line-up of events sharpens the focus on how London’s growth, climate change, the housing crisis, immigration and technology affect the way we interact together and examines how architecture can be used as an instrument for inspiration, sustainability, connectivity and protection.

Here are some of the highlights for anyone wanting to get involved:

Cardboard City

Families with children will delight in this fun event encouraging the discovery of architecture through basic cutting and sticking. Using only recycled materials, architects from Tate Harmer will be building a Cardboard City inspired both by real life and our imaginations. Free to attend. 4 June, 2-4pm, The City Centre, 80 Basinghall Street, EC2V 5AR

The Great Architectural Bake-Off

Now’s your chance to make like Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, with an architectural twist. Building design professionals compete to bake edible recreations of iconic buildings. 11 June, 12-2pm, WATG, Boston House, 36-38 Fitzroy Square, W1T 6EY

Last year's Great Architectural Bake Off saw Tower Bridge made out of cake

Photography Tour - From Wren to Rogers

This photographic walking tour will show you a side of London that perhaps has gone underappreciated before - its architecture. Walkers will be taught how to photograph the City at its best by a reputed architectural photographer. Bring you own camera, and be familiar with its functions. Costs £35 per person. 11 June, 10-1pm, City Information Centre, St Paul’s Churchyard, EC4M 8BX

Giant Doll’s House Project Installation

Doll’s house rooms in shoeboxes made by local school children, architects and people from the Red Cross Destitution Centre are displayed on a black canvas, linked with ropes and ladders to create a community. More boxes will be added during the exhibition, with participants paying £1. 26 May - 16 July, Giant Doll’s House Project, Maestro Arts Gallery, 1 Eastfields Avenue, SW18 1FQ

Local school children have made doll's house rooms in shoeboxes

Constructing Communities

RIBA presents works submitted for a brief to experiment with how architecture could be used to influence and create communities. The exhibition showcases the diverse approaches taken, and offers a glimpse at the possible future of architecture. 2-30 June, Peckham Levels, Rye Lane, SE15

Papers

This one-day festival will examine the creativity that has been growing in refugee camps, with refugee artists, musicians, poets, chefs and builders brought together. Various discussions will take place across various stages throughout the day. 12 June, The Barbican Conservatory, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS

One-day festival Papers will explore the creativity emerging from refugee camps (LFA)

The Castle

This temporary tower will be built from recycled loudspeakers sourced locally and offer a platform to unheard voices from the community. Here, crucial issues from the housing bill to zero hour contracts will be debated and discussed to ignite change. TBC, Black Cultural Archives, 1 Windrush Square, SW2 1EF

The Hive

British artist Wolfgang Buttress is behind The Hive, opening on 18 June. This intriguing installation is 17 metres high and covered in glowing LED lights, triggered by vibration sensors in an actual beehive. Set in a wildflower meadow, the idea is to “immerse the visitor into the life of bees”. 18 June - 30 November, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, TW9 3AB

The Hive will 'immerse visitors in the life of bees' thanks to Wolfgang Buttress

The People Build

French artist Olivier Grossetete leads visitors in creating a new full-size building from scratch out of hundreds of cardboard boxes at this spectacular free event. 25 June, 12-9pm, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 2ST

Sky Pool

Meet the design team behind the Sky Pool at Embassy Gardens, the transparent pool that will connect two buildings at a dizzying height of 35 metres. The project is set to add even more architectural wow factor to the South Bank skyline. Only fifty places available so get there early. 8 June, 6.30-8.30pm, Embassy Gardens Marketing Suite, Nine Elms Lane, London, SW8 5BL

Luxury London flat owners will be able to swim while literally looking down on everyone

Grow: Store

Free lunch-time growing workshops hosted by NLA and presented by the Edible Bus Stop. Attendees will enjoy an in-depth tour of the community garden before learning how to make a similar one at home. 1-30 June, The Building Centre, 26 Store Street, WC1E 7BT