IN-PERSON MADRID FOCUS ON PEDAGOGY. SECTION B
Abstract
This paper examines how performative installations function as pedagogical tools that extend architectural learning beyond conventional design studios. Using a modular wall system developed by architecture students at the American University of Sharjah as a case study, the research investigates how iterative construction and material experimentation generate forms of knowledge that exceed representational design methods. Fabricated through large-scale 3D printing in PETG, the wall serves as a first-draft prototype rather than a finished architectural solution to foreground material behaviour and environmental response. Designed to collect and store rainwater or saline water, the system irrigates integrated plants and performs as a living system. Under saline conditions, evaporation triggers visible salt crystallization across the modules, revealing climatic processes over time while enabling passive carbon sequestration. Together, plants, water, and salt transform the wall into a living filter that cleans air and repurposes wastewater and saline water, proposing a climate-responsive building envelope for diverse environments. Developed through a collaborative, hands-on process, the installation operates simultaneously as prototype and pedagogical experiment, where design decisions emerge through making rather than being predetermined. The paper critically reflects on the limitations and failures encountered in the first iteration – issues of plant viability, material durability, and environmental control – to question assumptions about performance-driven design. Through this analysis, the research proposes an expanded model of architectural education and building envelope design rooted in material agency, environmental interaction, and participatory, iterative learning.
Tania Ursomarzo is an architect, material fabrication specialist, and design educator. She is Assistant Professor of Architecture and Interior Design at the American University of Sharjah. Previously, she taught in the School of Constructed Environments, School of Design Strategies, and School of Fashion at Parsons School of Design, The New School. Her research explores the capacity for hybridized fabrication processes to advance design and forge new models of creative practice. She holds degrees from the University of Toronto (BArch) and Cranbrook Academy of Art (MArch).
Hala AlKhrishi is a recent graduate of the American University of Sharjah’s Bachelor of Architecture Program. Her work focuses on climate-responsive design and systems, particularly those involving water management. Her research has been published at the Wessex Conference on Sustainable Cities. She is particularly interested in participatory design-build approaches and modular systems for environmental performance.
Hala Naser is a recent graduate of the American University of Sharjah’s Bachelor of Architecture Program. She has participated in design competitions focused on material exploration that investigate alternative modes of spatial and visual representation using diverse media. Her research explores sustainable design and water-retaining strategies, advancing construction methods using 3D-printing technology.
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Thursday 25th June, 2026