Experimental workshops at the Climate HubLAB: a case study on learning spaces for experiential learning through pedagogy and technology

Introduction Digital tools for building performance analysis are becoming increasingly essential and widely employed in architectural practices worldwide. However, studies show that while providing useful numerical outputs in architectural design, the extensive use of digital tools in architecture education has the potential to restrict the students’ design actions, limit their capacity for innovative thinking, and ultimately lead to design fixations. In contrast, a large body of research gives evidence that many traditional analog practices, such as sketching or physical model-making, are still irreplaceable tools for processing and retaining theory while building tacit knowledge. This paper explores the Climate Hub-LAB at NTNU as a case study for supporting experiential learning practices where students engage in free experimentation and where failure is instrumental in fostering tacit knowledge. The lab merges a traditional design studio with a fully equipped research laboratory with the purpose of supporting hands-on experimentation that combines analog and digital tools to develop more holistic and sustainable design solutions. Methods Drawing on Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (2021) and Schenck and Cruickshank’s Co-Constructed Developmental Teaching Theory (2014), the paper examines the correlation between spaces within the lab, the employment of innovative pedagogical approaches, and the combination of analog and digital tools for environmental design. This has been achieved by designing and conducting a series of experimental workshops, under the project DigiHands, over the past few years. These workshops were designed to encourage students to engage actively in their design process and to monitor their learning trajectories and outcomes. Results Using Radcliffe’s Pedagogy-Space-Technology (PST) Framework for Designing and Evaluating Learning Places (2009), the outcomes from these workshops serve as the basis for relating spaces, activities, and the employment of tools for bioclimatic design practices. Discussion Ultimately, the paper reflects on the potential of reimagining architecture studio spaces to enable students to take ownership of their learning and adapt to the evolving architectural profession in the face of rapid digitalization, environmental pressures, and generational shifts.