Architecture, engineering, and science students from six international universities are designing natural school facades that are resilient to climate change
The proposal from the course, “Envolvente viva,” will be developed and evaluated within the framework project research project .
17 | 07 | 2026
Architecture, engineering, and science students from Spain, France, and Portugal participated this month in the COL3NATUR international course, led by Ana Sánchez-Ostiz, a professor at the School of Architecture at the University of Navarra, along with faculty members from that institution, the University of Seville, and the University of Minho. The activity is part of the project Sudoe COL3NATUR project , “Re-naturalization of School Buildings, Courtyards, and Pathways for Adaptation to Climate Change.”
For two weeks, Degree, Master's Degree doctorate students doctorate the University of Seville, the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Rovira i Virgili University, the University of Minho, the University of Nantes, and the University of Navarra designed prefabricated elements using nature-based solutions for schools in France and Portugal.
After analyzing the challenges and needs of the Luís de Camões School in Famalicão (Portugal) and the École Élémentaire des Arènes (Bayonne, France)—two case studies from project research project —the students designed industrialized prototypes for use on facades, roofs, and school pathways that could potentially be replicated in other buildings.
The project viva” project received the jury’s award , which recognized “the quality and technical rigor” of its proposal, which stood out for its innovation, feasibility, and the prototype’s optimal integration with nature-based solutions.
The proposal, which will be developed and evaluated within the framework project research project , aims to install a prefabricated façade using passive cooling techniques at the Luís de Camões School in Famalicão (Portugal). This “living” envelope provides protection from the weather, thermal insulation through shaded areas, and limits overheating inside the building caused by solar radiation. The proposal, developed by Daniel Muñoz González-Cano, a student at the Polytechnic University of Madrid; Silvia Huelves Fernández, of the CAUE of Lozère; and Josefa Matilde da Fonseca Paços, a student at the University of Minho, seeks to “harness rainwater and create a prefabricated green facade adaptable to different buildings and construction contexts.”
The course concluded with a presentation the students’ projects, in which they proposed solutions such as building envelopes, renaturalization systems, and vegetation strategies that make use of water, plants, and animals. The quotation together Miguel Ángel Diaz Iturriaga of DGA Arquitectura Habitable and a member of iCONS; Clara Eslava and Miguel Tejada of the architectural firm EEA estudio; and Maialen Aritz, director of area Strategic area at the Pamplona City Council, alumni whom are alumni the School.