Abstract:

Related to our work as professors in the Degree in Architecture, we would like to share the teaching experience that we are carrying out in the subject of architectural projects during the current academic year 2022-2023.

After the break in face-to-face teaching due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, and taking advantage of advances in technology, mainly in relation to video conferences, we are currently teaching double face-to-face classes: with fundamentally face-to-face teaching but connected from the class (through the “Collaborate tool”, from the University portal) with some students who occasionally cannot attend, and with the advantage that the classes are recorded.
In the subject of Architecture Degree Projects, we have traditionally based ourselves on PBL (Project-Based Learning), and this academic course we want to give it another twist, by participating with students in an international Architecture contest.

Specifically, we are working on the Architecture Student Contest Edition 2023 (sponsored by Saint Gobain).

The aim of this Student Architecture Contest is the integration of a creative approach with Saint-Gobain's principles of energy efficiency.

Students must develop a project following criteria based on sustainability: Buildings must be energy efficient, with low carbon emissions, and thy must create a comfortable environment for their occupants, in order to improve living, working and leisure spaces.

The contest takes place in a different geographical area in each edition.

This time, the contest is based in Lisbon, in an area close to the port that used to be industrial. Students must intervene in a protected building to create a media library, and they must design also new dwellings and a public space that revitalizes the area.

The students will work in groups, in a vertical workshop, that is, with students from different levels.

At first, they will work in large groups to generate basic documentation, about the place, about the media libraries, about the residential program, studying new typologies, and finally they will work about the public space.

The students are already preparing presentations that we share in public sessions.

We have recently held a session that we have called "59 minutes", in which during this time, in teams of 9 people, they had to present their idea, including a proposal for the media library, the dwellings and the relationship space with the city. It has served them to break the fear of "blank paper" and it have limited the work they must do.

A good collaborative atmosphere is being created in the class, and the students are actively participating with a great enthusiasm.

The contest will be delivered in March with the work carried out in groups of 3, for a first phase. They will compete with students from other Spanish Schools, where they will be able to measure themselves and learn from students from other Universities.

Then there is an international phase, which is very motivating for teachers and students.

We think it will be a very good teaching experience and that it will translate into great learning.

Keywords:

Research, Education, Experiences.