Living Lab LOW3 – An Innovative Teaching Concept for Sustainable Architecture at UPC - Barcelona Tech
Abstract
The LOW3 (low energy – low impact – low cost) prototype developed by UPC-Barcelona Tech for the Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 competition is a energy self sufficient solar house or Net Zero Energy Building based on three main principles: a low energy demand, a low impact on environment and a low cost architecture with a strong focus on the economy of means. LOW3 explores the thermal capacity of intermediate spaces in contributing to a low energy architecture as well as it explores spatial qualities, creating in-between spaces for innovative ways of living. LOW3 has been realized in a 2 years process with the participation of over 100 students and 50 companies, winning a first prize in the category “Architecture” of the Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 competition. At this moment the prototype solar house gets converted into a Living Lab LOW3 platform at the UPC campus at Sant Cugat, Barcelona. Living Lab LOW3 will become an innovative education tool for sustainable architecture, energy efficiency and renewable energies within an international framework. The main objective is to foster experience based learning, co-creation and collaborative learning processes in the field of energy efficiency, bioclimatic architecture, solar systems and sustainable construction based on the experimental analysis, development and evaluation of prototypes. Living Lab LOW3 started at January 2011 with a first learning module, involving 20 students in the construction and evaluation of the prototype together with experts from companies and university staff. The course integrates Master and PhD students with the aim to link teaching and research activities. First results of this innovative teaching concept show the importance of experienced based learning and the potential of building prototypes as combined research and learning facilities towards a holistic education in sustainable architecture. Living Lab LOW3 is the latest step in a row of teaching activities in solar architecture based on transdisciplinarity and participation, initiated by the Solar Research Centre (CISOL) of the Vallès School of Architecture (ETSAV) of UPC-Barcelona Tech since 2003. A comparison of 5 different applied teaching formats shows the great potential of Living Labs in Architecture regarding the implementation of competence-based teaching according to the objectives of the EHEA (European Higher Education Area) and the acquisition of specific knowledge and skills in the field of sustainability in architecture.