Taking Action
Architectural education requires graduates to practice ethical responsibility to society, the economy, and the environment. The climate emergency facing society demands a radical response. The UN SDGs, and government policy, challenge architecture educators to rethink and reformulate Irish architectural education.
Actions we’re taking
Building Change follows an agile collaborative and co-learning approach with staff, students, professionals, industry and community to engender the knowledge and skills necessary to reduce the carbon impact of construction and demonstrate the societal value of inclusive and resilient design.
Ithirlann workshop and installation in collaboration with 5th year MArch students from UCD) | Photo: Rob deBoer
New Habit(at)s conference | Photo: M. Hannon
Climate Action (13.3) and Affordable Sustainable Housing (SDG 11.1)
Through the lens of the UN Climate Action and Sustainable Housing SDGs students and lecturers gain a broader understanding of the global challenges society faces. This conceptual and strategic perspective can be applied to any problem or project, regardless of context.
Studio Pilots
Our Studio Pilots allow us to expand and reshape the pedagogy of the traditional architecture design studio. In 2022-23 we explored the theme of Materials and Methodologies with our students. 2023-24 pilots are focussing on housing and engagement with stakeholders.
Watch Materials and Methodologies with our students from the Student Symposium 2023
Critical Needs Assessment
The critical needs analysis with all stakeholders (students, lecturers, industry, professional body, local community) is identifying key knowledge and skills necessary to provide graduates with the capabilities they require to meet the challenges of Climate Action and Sustainable Housing.
Curriculum Redesign
The collective learning and reflection from the Building Change project has implications for the curricula of each partner universities. Building Change is embedding critical reflective capacity on sustainability within the staff, our students and the curricula of Irish architecture education
Engagement
Engagement encompasses co-creation and multidisciplinary collaboration across our programmes, generates long-term external relationships through partnership with industry, creates new opportunities for research in sustainability across AEC, generates enterprising graduates, aligns extra-curricular activities that bed down cultural change, and makes tangible each partner university’s institutional strategies in sustainability as a priority in higher education. The revised architecture programmes will trigger a larger impact across the AEC in Ireland, supporting our transition to a zero-carbon economy.
