VIRTUAL: Applying Education

Abstract

The effect of climate change on cities is multitudinous and critical; one of them is flooding. The aim and objective of teaching this course is to speculate how the needs of flooded cities are addressed using the method of speculative design. Course suggests that communities and institutions need to collectively reflect on flooding scenarios to counter climate change in the long run. This technique involves various actors, disciplines and students in brainstorming and generating scenarios, discussion, and reflection. It is practiced through course lectures, design workshops and exhibitions. This course showcases the speculative design; which takes a bottom-up and collective approach in University of Innsbruck, Institute of Experimental Architecture, Hochbau. Further students speculative design works are in exhibition for local communities, an attempt to empower and bring different concerned groups into a conversation about climate change and flooding, some of which are not often included in urban decision-making processes. Owing to their greater responsibilities and participation, involving all stakeholders is significant in order to rethink policies for climate responsive architecture and urbanism.