An experiment of collaborative, international, multi-disciplinary design studio – Erasmus+ CBHE TACEESM project Summer School

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test an architectural studio pedagogy that originates from an experiment of a Summer School collaborative design studio, with participation of students, academicians and practicing architects, from seven Universities and five European countries. Design/methodology/approach This pedagogical method follows recommended education for sustainable development (ESD) model, by linking formal and informal learning, and targeting development of the key competences needed for promoting sustainable progress: participation and collaboration, along with inter- and trans-disciplinarity. Combining active participant observation method with descriptive survey research, the paper evaluates the perspective of a small sample size of 27 participating students, who worked with 15 professors alternately, during a two-week design studio course. Findings The results indicate that such a form of non-formal education has positive impact on acquisition of targeted competences, confirming the strategic role that non-formal education has in reaching quality education learning outcomes, and advocating for the adjustments of existing curricula towards a more collaborative educational approach in architectural design. Research limitations/implications The modest sample size presents a limitation in reference to generalization of results, neverthless its data are valuable, particularly within the context of maximizing the development of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Originality/value This endeavour was a part of an on-going Erasmus + CBHE (Capacity Building in Higher Education) project entitled transforming architectural and civil engineering education towards a sustainable model (TACEESM). Organized non-formal educational model is seen as a testing laboratory that blends a conventional methodology of a design studio with a highly collaborative, international and multi-disciplinary approach.