Strategies for learning to deal with context in architectural education

Breakout Session 1: Wednesday, 18 June (16:30 - 18:30)
Karel Vandenhende, KU Leuven, Belgium

The sequence of a typical design process does not always work for architecture students. Not being able to foresee the contextual consequences of their first ideas often leads to choosing the 'safest' option. This lack of integration of the built environment or landscape in the design process complicates successful architecture, where more satisfactory solutions address multiple aspects of the stated problem, including context. Research shows that thematic assignments reduce the complexity of architectural problems and enable students to focus on certain aspects. By working at a 1/1 scale, students can easily focus on the existing fabric, as issues of rescaling and representation are both omitted from the design process. They also receive direct feedback from context and users. These two strategies will be presented, and thematic studio assignment, along with the realisation of an intervention will be discussed in session.

The voice of wild edible plants: Combating plant blindness

Breakout Session 2: Thursday, 19 June (09:30 - 11:30)
Annette Kriszat, Margaret Rynning, Lene Utigard , Kristiania University of Applied Sciences, Westerdals, Norway

This session explores guerrilla design activism to uncover the neglected, life-integrated knowledge of wild edible plants, unveiling an experimental research-through-design approach, aimed at discovering unconventional ways of breaking the green backdrop of plant blindness. The concept of 'plant blindness', as described by Wandersee and Schussler, refers to the ignorance towards plants in our environment, highlighting the threats modern society poses to generational knowledge of caring for natural resources. Changed living patterns and urbanisation alienate humans from nature, causing the neglect of wild plant harvesting practices. Drawing on the concept of guerrilla design activism, this experimental workshop invites attendees to explore the voice of wild edible plants through innovative design tactics. Focusing on sustainability, the session will address various dimensions that resonate with the audience. By empowering creative processes and learning, participants will be encouraged to reflect on their relationship with nature and challenge plant blindness through unconventional communication methods.

Building a sustainable future through the arts

Breakout Session 4: Thursday, 19 June (14:30 - 16:30)
Karin Hjertzell, Thomas Arctaedius, Royal College of Music Stockholm, Sweden

The Act-In-Art network, comprising 15 Nordic and Baltic art schools, is committed to integrating arts into solutions for societal and climate challenges. Over the past year, the network has developed 'Building a Sustainable Future through the Arts', a project focused on creating curricula and learning materials for sustainability-oriented arts courses. Designed for degree programmes, these resources foster collaboration among educators and institutions while building a dynamic community of teachers passionate about sustainability and the arts, facilitating knowledge exchange and professional collaboration. Rooted in experiences from a sustainability course at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm (KMH), the project has been co-created with students and faculty. In this workshop, participants will explore the project’s key insights and engage in a hands-on session testing one of its learning modules, offering a unique opportunity to experience innovative sustainability education in the arts.

In the Depths

Breakout Session 4: Thursday, 19 June (14:30 - 16:30)
Frode Søbstad, Kristiania University of Applied Sciences, Oslo, Norway

Social engagement is central to this teaching approach, using the senses as inspiration for learning and idea development. Underwater, with only breath as a tool, impressions become intense—10 seconds can feel like minutes. The Oslofjord, nearly lifeless with vanished fish and plants, has become a dumping ground. Instead of searching for life, trash is found, and this journey is shared with students. Freediving has been incorporated into three projects. Students created films on major societal themes, starting with immersive experiences—one group was taken freediving to witness the "water desert" firsthand. Another project, in collaboration with the Mirage Film Festival, involved a live broadcast, Oslolive, documenting freedivers collecting ocean waste. In the Kunstforsk workshop, students explored an island, using freediving to understand its environment. Through these projects, students are encouraged to discover new methods of inspiration, fostering creative intersections for innovation.

Navigating Liminal/oid Spaces: Drawing and Walking the Thresholds of Identity Performance and Construction

Breakout Session 5: Friday, 20 June (10:00 - 11:30)
Joe Richardson, University of the Arts London, United Kingdom

This drawing walking workshop invites attendees to retrace their commute, reflecting on transitions between spaces and personas through drawing while walking. Held at the start and end of each day, participants will explore their transformations—partners, artists, researchers, educators, and more—while questioning what they leave at the university doors and what they carry into the conference space. In response to ELIA’s theme of “life getting in the way”, this workshop offers an opportunity to map the intersections of life and work through expressive drawing. Capped at 16 participants per session, the workshop creates an intimate, engaging environment, where drawing provides a tangible means of reflecting on transitions and exploring recurring motifs. Based on the workshops for the London Design Festival and City Lit, this process fosters presence and awareness of shifting roles. Participants will acquire reflective practices for their institutions, fostering broader conversations about navigating the boundaries of life and work.