Living Labs as tools and places for RbD in Sustainability: transformative education in Architecture

Abstract

Living labs play a major role as instruments allowing the introduction of new pedagogical approaches in the education of architecture students through designing, building and operating experimental sustainable housing prototypes. In recent years an important development of educational and research oriented living labs in higher education has been linked to the Solar Decathlon Europe (SDE) Competition, an international competition of universities for designing, building and operating energy self-sufficient solar houses. One of these prototypes provides, under direction of the author, a transformative learning experience to local and international students since 2012 focusing on the topics of sustainable housing, energy and lifestyle. Results of educational research on its methodologies and impact confirm the positive contribution in the field of transformative sustainability education.  

The applied methodologies and tools of the living lab course facilitate students’ learning about different aspects of sustainability in an impactful way by

• Exploring, experiencing, and measuring a sustainable housing prototype.
• Learning self-paced online through weekly modules (MOOC) on the digital platform of the course.
• Participating in regular debates and exchange of personal experiences together with value discussions related to the topics of the online modules.
• Designing, planning, self-organizing and executing collectively a specific project in a team.
• Communicating knowledge, projects and results to the community (regular posts, podcast series, in-person activities).

To measure the transformative effect of the educational initiative on participants and to document and evaluate the impact on their sustainability literacy, value shift and behavioral change, the following qualitative and quantitative evaluations have been carried out:

• Personal conversations and feedback
• Questionnaires at the end of each course
• Pre- and post-tests, evaluating specific sustainability knowledge
• Self-evaluation tool of the online learning platform

Students report in conversations and through the questionnaire at the end of the course that the specific projects have given them personal satisfaction by building and transforming physically their environment together with the experience of teaming up with others and self-organizing objectives, work, schedule and outcomes.

Regarding teaching contents, during the last 2 academic courses projects focused on the design and construction with waste materials. Students contributed to the nationally funded research project by designing and constructing mock-ups of innovative solutions in a collective process with other faculties and courses. This led to further projects regarding the construction of furniture based on recycled materials as well as to an exhibition of construction and demolition waste with the aim to explore their re-use in buildings.

From the teachers point of view, and beyond the individual transformational learning experiences of students, the following outcomes and obstacles could be identified regarding a collective sustainability transition of the academic comunity.

Achieved outcomes:

• Successful collaboration between disciplines, faculties and courses through links to national and international research projects.
• Creation of an unformal learning environment for meeting and socializing, new initiatives and place of resilience for the community.
• Intercultural exchange between international and local students, facilitating value discussions and knowledge exchange across different cultural backgrounds.
• Contribution to campus facilities through the ongoing improvement and conditioning of the living lab and its surrounding.

Observed obstacles:

• Continuity of practical projects is complicated, due to change of students each semester.
• Interculturality and English teaching language are generally positive, but might be hindering for some local students.
• As an elective subject the course is not principal study focus of students resulting in limited dedication in time and reduced outcomes.
• Link to research projects is desirable, but increases complexity and effort for management of collective sessions, timing, deliveries.
• Practical construction works imply security aspects, knowledge on use of tools and machinery and depend on abilities of students.
• Self-organization of projects by students is challenging and results depend on their motivation, skills, interpersonal qualities and personal circumstances.

This presented living lab course is based on the principles of "Learning by doing", which requires students to be proactive, propose initiatives, define objectives, necessary resources, execution, completion and presentation of their projects. A transformative experience is created by blending knowledge acquisition, value discussion, and the execution of real projects through research-based design.

The evaluation of results regarding the degree of achievement of a truly transformative learning experience needs discussion, relying so fare mainly on qualitative results as indictors of success. Real transformative impact can most probably only be measured or observed over time, as it is generated later, in follow-up projects of participants, when the acquired profound knowledge about sustainability and an increased consciousness of the urgency for change and transition materialize in different way of engaging in projects and focusing on solutions.

Transformative learning experiences are relevant for accelerating change in values, behavior, and knowledge of future professionals. Academic living labs like the presented initiative can contribute as places for such holistic impact-full ways of learning in an academic environment and beyond. How to improve, measure and evaluate results, is an ongoing matter of research.