On pedagogical prototyping of advanced ecological buildings and biocities at Valldaura Labs

Abstract

Emerging designers and makers of the built environment have an outstanding responsibility and potential to mitigate and adapt to global climate change, environmental pollution, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion. This paper overviews how the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia – Valldaura Labs (VL) educates incipient practitioners in interdisciplinary strategies for unifying the constructed and natural worlds through pedagogical prototyping and learning by living. VL is a living lab sited 10 km from Barcelona’s centre in the Collserola Natural Park, hosting the immersive Master in Advanced Ecological Buildings & Biocities (MAEBB), which culminates in the annual autonomous design and fabrication of a self-sufficient building. The methods and projects of VL provide best practices of reference for realising holistically integrated ecological and technological landscapes.

Keywords

• pedagogical prototyping
• living labs
• immersive education
• nature-based solutions
• circular bioeconomy