End of 2026 edition of LOW3: Living Zero!

The 2026 edition of LOW3: Living Zero! has successfully concluded, with all teams achieving their objectives in the development of shading devices and recycled furniture, LOW3 refurbishment works, community garden and outdoor space design, as well as material research and communication.

Following the final course presentations, the semester was celebrated with a shared moment on campus, enjoying freshly harvested vegetables from the garden alongside music and refreshments, marking the collective achievements of the participants.

All our work, discussions, and online learning modules within and around LOW3 have contributed to shaping participants’ critical thinking, systemic understanding, and specific knowledge on sustainability, particularly in relation to housing, energy, and lifestyle.

LOW3 served once again as a transformative learning environment at ETSAV, fostering the development of future professionals capable of driving the necessary societal transitions.

LIME Workshop at LOW3!

Today, the Material group of LOW3 organized a hands-on lime workshop for the entire course, aimed at familiarizing participants with this natural material, its intrinsic properties, and its environmental performance. The session also emphasized practical experience, including preparation, mixing techniques, and application on different surfaces. In addition, participants explored creative surface treatments and the incorporation of fibers into the mixtures as part of the experimental learning process.

The experience was highly valuable, combining theoretical instruction with the preparation and application of lime plaster, alongside experimentation with various additives such as straw and dog hair to enhance performance. This was complemented by critical reflections on sustainability, applicability, circularity, and durability.

Thank you to the Material group of LOW3: Teo, Magnolia, Adrià and Gabriele for that enriching, practical and funny experience!

THE CAMPUS YOU WANT - THE CAMPUS WE NEED

Great introduction today into this years main course topic: THE CAMPUS YOU WANT - THE CAMPUS WE NEED. How to convert our campus into a decarbonized, regenerative ecosystem that takes care of persons, environment, resources and by the way creates opportunities for a collective learning processes in a healthy environment?

The Q+ working group introduced us into the basic objectives of the eco-social transition roadmap of ETSAV, and the related Q+ project they collaborated during the last semesters. How can we reduce efectively the 822 Tn of CO2 emissions we generate as a community each year? Buildings, mobility, food, materials... our campus metabolism under research! 

During this semester LOW3 students will contribute to the overall objective of a decarbonized, regenerative ETSAV campus by generating knowledge, visions, roadmaps and specific interventions.

Start of new LIVING LAB LOW3 course 2026!

LOW3 starts again! First class of LOW3 2025/26_Q2: Getting known to each other with a first discussion and presentation round at the LOW3 terrace and a introduction to our MOOC learning platform and the participatory Living Lab dynamics. 

Students lifestyle carbon footprint results in 12 Tn average according to our first exercise. A good starting point for getting known to the new challenge of this year: Ideas for an integrated regenerative decarbonization concept for our campus and community in line with the Q+ project and the eco-social transition roadmap of ETSAV!

As in each course, we went through the LOW3 Solar House, exploring its spaces, analyzing its concepts and understanding its potential as a inspiring place for transformative education in sustainability.

Diversity of views with a holistic approach to sustainability, value discussions and learning-by-doing will be again part of the game at the LOW3 Living Lab. Let’s start!

GREAT END OF LOW3 COURSE 2025

The LOW3 2025 team worked well the last weeks, completing construction works at LOW3 finishing the design of the upper exposition and event space, the improved shading for the LOW3 terrace as well as some interesting new outdoor furniture. After the final presentations of the course we enjoyed some fresh salat from the campus garden and music and drinks for celebrating the great outcomes we achieved this semester. 

Hopefully all activities, course contents, discussion rounds and personal interchange among students contributed to shape their critical thinking and knowledge about sustainability especially regarding the LOW3 topics of housing, energy and lifestyle!

Green Office ETSAV - GBCE University program

Within the colaboration program with the Green Building Council Spain (GBCE) we start a new phase of our teaching innovation project Green Office ETSAV within the LOW3 Living Lab. Its aim is to support architecture students in their learning about sustainability and the challenges of decarbonisation with a focus on opening new channels of communication, creating debates on the challenge of decarbonisation and supporting students to be the engine of change towards the sustainability at the ETSAV through a transformative learning model. 

We will benefit together with 5 other spanish universities from webinars offered by GBCE, and participate with our students in the Sustainability XL event next June in Valladolid, where we will present our individual projects among all participating schools of architecture.

Green Office ETSAV project includes our Instagram Channel GoGreenETSAV  our podcast series In the Cube and many other initiatives designed and driven by students with the aim to raise the knowledge on sustainability of our community, creating behaviour change through value discussions and collective transformative experiences.

New LOW3:Living Zero! course started!

First class of LOW3 2024/25_Q2: First discussion and presentation round at the LOW3 terrace, introduction into our MOOC learning platform, understanding the participatory Living Lab dynamics and getting known to our GREEN OFFICE ETSAV activities related to the Green Building Council Spain (GBCe) – University collaboration about decarbonization.

Introduction to the LOW3 Solar House, exploring its spaces, analyzing its concepts and understanding its potential as a inspiring place for transformative education in sustainability.

Diversity of views with a holistic approach to sustainability, value discussions and learning-by-doing will be again part of the game at the LOW3 Living Lab. Let’s start!

MISMEC Master Course City and Energy visits LOW3

Energy Transition has been the topic within the City and Energy course of the Master Program "Sustainable Intervention in the Built Environment" (MISMEC).

After reviewing energy transition scenarios and roadmaps on global scale and understanding current state, next milestones and obstacles, students had the opportunity to visit the LOW3 Living Lab at the campus, seeing an example of a energy self-sufficient solar house, with its technologies in place, but also with its conceptual approach to low-carbon architecture and sustainable housing and lifestyles.

InnoEnergy - Master Program RENE: Innovation and Co-creation Seminar

A new edition of our Innovation and Co-creation Seminar has been held 2-5 of July for the InnoEnergy MSc Program "Renewable Energies"(RENE) with around 37 students from 12 different countries working on a “Holistic Sustainability Approach for Innovations”. 

Under the topics “Housing, Energy and Lifestyle” students got known to the innovative concepts of UPC's nearly zero energy buildings, exploring and analyzing the technological concepts of the LOW3 prototype house in the fields of solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, HVAC, bioclimatic building management and energy monitoring systems, energy storage and circularity. Besides, a visit to the low-energy student residence of the campus enriched the discussions on new approaches to sustainable buildings and cities and decarbonization of our society. Students tested the Carbon Coaching App SUSLA (www.susla.app) and calculated their own lifestyle carbon footprint. 

After more than 10 years of collaboration with the MSc Program RENE of KIC InnoEnergy students feedback confirms once again that the LOW3 Living Lab offers a valuable contribution to engineer students’ education through its holistic approach to sustainability, bringing together in one place the important topics of Housing, Energy and Lifestyle.

GREAT FINAL COURSE DELIVERY AND EVENT AT LOW3

The LOW3 team speeded up final construction Works at LOW3 and finished the design of the upper exposition and event space, the shading for the LOW3 terrace as well as outdoor furniture. The Living Lab has been perfectly prepared for the final event which consisted in a Kahoot quiz on decarbonization at the ETSAV terrace with prices for the winner, the individual group presentation at LOW3, open to guests, and a final party with produce from the community garden, a ping-pong match and music and drinks for celebrating the great outcomes we achieved this semester. 

Congratulations to all LOW3 students of this semester and farewell to our Erasmus guests! It was a pleasure to have you with us!

INTENSIVE CONSTRUCTION WORKS AT THE LOW3 LIVING LAB

All teams are currently finishing their construction projects as our course end comes closer! The upper floorspace get's in shape for future events like movie sessions and exposition of sustainable construction materials as well as recovered and recycled construction waste, as circular economy needs to be adressed urgently by the building sector. 

Outdoor furniture is constructed out of parachute textile waste and paper waste recovered from the Department of Technology, filling the "snake" and other sitting elements with 140 kg of paper, the yearly consumption per capita in Spain!

Also the pergola and shading devices for the LOW3 terrace are getting finished. Removable foundations, recovered steel beams and reused greenhouse shading fabric make a perfect combination and a very low impact. Great work!

LOW3 - Green Office Working groups are now fully active!

LOW3 - Green Office Working groups are now fully active: Community garden secured and planted, first recycled furniture and equipment constructed (Ping Pong table!), LOW3 upstair space under refurbishment, “In the Cube” Podcasts under production, GoGreenETSAV Instagram with regular posts, LOW3 shading device with removable foundations in design and experimentation stage. Great Work!

Second year Construction Systems Course explores LOW3

Solar thermal collectors, solar PV installations in buildings, design for disassembly, modular prefabricated housing, light-weight greenhouse technologies, circularity of building materials, and many other topics are nice to learn in theory, but why, when we can just walk down the campus and visit a prototype building, experience, explore and touch its components and materials, and start a discussion and reflection process right in the place?

Second year class of Construction Systems II course had the opportunity to do so, and I think it was a fruitful way to learn about construction techniques, solar technologies and sustainable solutions for buildings in general.

 

 

 

GREEN OFFICE ETSAV initiative starts its third year!

25 new students, half ETSAV, half Erasmus, took over LOW3 for continuing another semester with our GREEN OFFICE activities at ETSAV.

In the third edition 2023/24, the students are currently carrying out a reform of the interior spaces of the Living Lab LOW3, for use as an exhibition space for reclaimed and recycled materials from construction and the design and construction of a pergola with recycled materials for the terrace of the LOW3 solar house on Campus, with the aim of being able to use the space as an activity space for the entire ETSAV community during the warm months. In addition, the garden is reactivated community of the Campus and optimizes the collection and reuse of rainwater for irrigation and continues with the GoGreenETSAV dissemination projects and the In the Cube podcast.

25 nous estudiants, meitat ETSAV, meitat Erasmus, es van fer càrrec del LOW3 per continuar un semestre més amb les nostres activitats GREEN OFFICE a l'ETSAV.

A la tercera edició 2023/24, els estudiants actualment duen a terme una reforma dels espais interiors del Living Lab LOW3, per al seu ús com a espai d'exposició de materials recuperats i reciclats de la construcció i el disseny i la construcció d'una pèrgola amb materials reciclats per la terrassa de la casa solar LOW3 al Campus, amb la finalitat de poder fer servir l'espai com a espai d'activitats per a tota la comunitat ETSAV durant els mesos càlids. A més, es reactiva l'hort

comunitari del Campus i s'optimitza la recollida i reutilització d'aigües pluvials per al seu reg i se segueix amb els projectes de difusió GoGreenETSAV i el podcast In the Cube.

 

 

 

RENE - Innovation and Co-creation Seminar 2023 ETSAV

A new edition of our Innovation and Co-creation Seminar has been held 3-7 of July for the InnoEnergy MSc Program "Renewable Energies"(RENE) with around 45 students from 12 different countries working on a “Holistic Sustainability Approach for Innovations. 

Under the topics “Housing, Energy and Lifestyle” students got known to the innovative concepts of UPC's nearly zero energy buildings, exploring and analysing the technological concepts of the LOW3 prototype house in the fields of solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, HVAC, bioclimatic building management and energy monitoring systems, energy storage and circularity. 

Besides, visits to the low-energy student residence of the campus and to the Savasco prototype building which explores low-impact building materials based on agricultural waste products, enriched the discussions on new approaches to sustainable buildings and cities. Students tested the Carbon Coaching App SUSLA (www.susla.app) and calculated their own lifestyle carbon footprint. 

After 10 years of collaboration with the MSc Program RENE of KIC InnoEnergy students feedback confirms once again that the LOW3 Living Lab offers a valuable contribution to engineer students’ education through its holistic approach to sustainability, bringing together in one place the important topics of Housing, Energy and Lifestyle.

LOW3-WISER: FINAL EVENT

WISER prototypes and the related exhibition about Construction and Demolition Waste at LOW3 have been presented by students to their fellows within a festive and dynamic event at the ETSAV terrace and the LOW3 Living Lab facilities. A Kahoot quiz about important figures regarding embodied carbon and the decarbonization challenge in general spread the word and some knowledge about the changes we need to make in the building sector and as society as a whole. 

Ice-cream, beer and music contributed to combine the social with the disciplinary side of the event and LOW3 showed once more to be a great space for value discussions, learning by doing and a holistic approach to sustainability. 

Congratulations to the LOW3 students of this semester!

LOW3-WISER: Prototype construction!

We now enter the final phase of LOW3-Wiser: Prototype construction of our WiSER proposals (Waste-based Intelligent Solar-control-devices for Envelope Refurbishment). Students are using the CRITT Building Workshop at ETSAV and the LOW3 Living Lab spaces for construction of 1:1 samples of their designs. These will then be exposed and tested at the LOW3 south façade for understanding their performance under real conditions of building integration. A great way of a learning by building approach on construction, performance and materiality of building envelopes and solar control devices!

LOW3-WISER: Second Design Review

At the ETSAV school of Architecture took place the second WISER Design Review with experts and the presentation of 6 proposal (3 of each Architecture School). First 1:1 mock-ups have been presented, showing the materiality of some solutions. Other proposals have been presented through 1:10 models, demonstrating the operability of the solution. After this second review, 1:1 prototypes will be constructed in both courses for evaluation of proposals under real conditions. 

Additionally, ETSAB students could visit the LOW3 Living Lab at the ETSAV campus and the exposition of construction and demolition waste materials prepared by our students. Let’s convert so-called waste into a resource! Starting to understand what circular economy in the building sector means and needs!

LOW3-WISER: Learning about waste!

The LOW3 Living Lab is a place for experimenting, exploring and constructing, but also for value discussion about sustainable construction, housing, energy and lifestyle. Discussion rounds on our sunny south terrace allow for conversation about the important topics like renewable energy transition, decarbonization, circular economy and climate change. On the other side our campus allows exploring the diversity of waste, this semesters topic, getting together a whole collection of waste materials related to buildings, getting inspiration for our projects.

LOW3-WISER: First Design Review

At the ETSAB school of Architecture took place the first WISER Design Review with a selected panel of experts and the presentation of 12 proposal (6 of each Architecture School). Effectivity of the proposed envelope solutions regarding solar protection, light quality and operability, but also important aspects like structural safety, fire protection, maintenance and lifecycle have been evaluated, presenting and sharing among students and researchers the different conceptual ideas developed in both courses: Material and Project (Prof. Oriol Pons, ETSAB) and LOW3: Living Zero (Prof. Torsten Masseck, ETSAV). Based on the received critics, proposals will be further developed in the upcoming weeks.