sus^cool international summer school 2026 kicks off!

sus^cool summer school Program 2026

Bio-based Materials, Circular Construction and 1:1 Experimentation

The sus^cool Blended Program is an international, practice‑oriented teaching format that brings together students, researchers, and practitioners to explore sustainable and circular approaches to architecture through material‑based experimentation.

The 2026 edition of the program started on March 5 with an international online kick‑off session, bringing together around 35 participants from different universities and disciplines. The program is structured as a blended format, combining online lectures with an intensive on‑site workshop phase.

At its core, sus^cool focuses on bio‑based building materials, circular construction principles, and sustainable design strategies. Rather than treating sustainability as an abstract concept, the program emphasizes material knowledge, construction logic, and hands‑on testing as key drivers of architectural design.

Online Lectures – Building a Shared Knowledge Base (2 ECTS)

The online lecture series provides a common theoretical and methodological foundation for all participants. It introduces a wide range of bio‑based construction approaches, spanning from historical building traditions to contemporary architectural applications.

Key topics include:

• earth and timber construction
• sustainable insulation materials
• design for disassembly and reuse
• upcycling strategies and material cycles

Through best‑practice examples such as Terrabloc, participants discuss how circular principles can be translated into real construction systems and how material choices influence environmental performance across the building life cycle.

The lectures are conceived as an open learning space, encouraging discussion, critical reflection, and exchange between participants with different academic and disciplinary backgrounds.

From Theory to Practice: 1:1 Implementation in Vienna - Hands on in July (4 ECTS)

The online phase directly feeds into the on‑site workshop in Vienna, where the acquired knowledge is translated into full‑scale (1:1) projects. Here, ideas are tested through physical prototyping, material experimentation, and collaborative making.

By working at full scale, participants gain a deeper understanding of:

• material behavior and limitations
• construction processes and detailing
• the relationship between design decisions and resource use

This direct connection between theoretical input and built experimentation is a central aspect of the sus^cool program and reflects the teaching approach of the Green Building Lab, where design, research, and making are closely intertwined.

The sus^cool Blended Program positions architecture as an active field of experimentation within the context of climate‑responsive and circular building practices and fosters an international exchange on sustainable construction cultures.

More details on speakers and sessions >>>

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