Abstract:

The education of architecture and construction professionals currently faces the challenge of preparing individuals capable of operating within an increasingly complex sector, where technical advances, new demands for sustainability and energy efficiency, the need to preserve the built heritage, and the progressive loss of traditional construction knowledge all converge. Since the mid-20th century, there has been a gradual decline in the understanding and use of traditional techniques as a result of changes in common construction practices and the lack of specific training in both university programmes and education for technicians. In response to this educational gap, heritage rehabilitation and restoration require the development of specialised competencies among all stakeholders in the sector.

In this context, the aim of this article is to propose and analyse an innovative teaching strategy based on the integration of academia, applied research, and the professional sector, with the objective of reintroducing traditional construction techniques currently at risk of disappearing into architectural education. This strategy is grounded in a technical research project dedicated to the study of earthen construction processes and, specifically, the hot slaking of quicklime, carried out in collaboration with a lime distribution company based in Valencia (Spain). This project enabled the creation of an interprofessional learning experience in which scientific researchers, private companies, international craftsmen, and university students converged.

The teaching methodology employed is grounded in experiential learning, situated learning, and the transfer of tacit knowledge, incorporating real experimental work and the direct participation of specialists. In an initial phase, an English master craftsman, an expert in traditional lime techniques, demonstrated and supervised the hot-slaking process, first for the local researchers and later for the professionals of the collaborating company. The process was documented in technical reports and subsequently expanded through various laboratory studies, thus generating a solid foundation of applied and scientifically supported knowledge. The knowledge generated in this first phase has already facilitated its transfer to other international experts, who have replicated the experience, as well as the integration of the hot-slaking process into teaching workshops on traditional construction techniques within the architecture programme at the Universitat Politècnica de València.

This articulation between industry, research, and academia represents a replicable model of interprofessional knowledge transfer, one that not only rescues historical techniques at risk of disappearing but also equips future architects and technicians with essential competencies for heritage conservation and sustainable construction. Ultimately, this work highlights the need for teaching models based on practice, collaboration with the professional sector, and learning from experts as a means to reverse the loss of traditional techniques, strengthen university–industry relations, and promote comprehensive architectural training capable of addressing contemporary challenges.

Keywords:

Traditional Building Techniques, Heritage Conservation, Experiential Learning, Tacit Knowledge Transfer.