Living labs in architecture as innovation arenas within higher education institutions

Education at schools of architecture must attend the demand for a new profile for architects, integrating and fostering corresponding SD competences through new learning methodologies, tools and concepts. A series of recent developments in higher education, emerging fields of knowledge, as well as changing social and professional realities give relevance to the research on Living Labs in Architecture as new tools for a holistic Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) with a specific focus on renewable energies and Nearly Zero Energy Buildings. On the other hand, a newly strengthened social responsibility of university towards society in the development of innovative solutions for our environmental, social and economic conflicts must lead towards new processes in teaching, research and technology transfer based on a strong interaction with their local and regional communities. The LOW3 prototype solar house of UPC has been designed and built between 2008 and 2010 and converted and operated as a Living Lab for sustainable architecture and lifestyle since 2011 at the ETSAV campus at Sant Cugat del Vallés (Barcelona) under the responsibility of the author. This paper highlights the importance of Living Labs as innovation infrastructures in Higher Education and presents the specific educational experience of LOW3 within the institutional framework of UPC, drawing from 5 years of action research regarding pluridisciplinary, experience based sustainability education. It shows that the diversity of activities related to one single platform like Living Lab LOW3, allows the creation of synergies between actors, programs and projects. Stakeholders have the opportunity to participate in a community of users beyond established academic structures. In this sense, Living Labs in Higher Education can be seen as social ecosystems or Innovation Arenas with a link to the surrounding socio-economic context, fostering the creation of transversal educational communities