Nagore Urrutia del Campo, Joseba Gainza Barrencua and Urtza Uriarte Otazua, members of the CAVIAR research group, are developing a heliodon model that can be constructed at the Higher Technical School of Architecture of the University of the Basque Country (EHU). This initiative will allow students to directly understand the sun’s trajectory and optimise natural lighting in their projects, promoting practical and kinaesthetic learning.
From small-scale models to a full-size version
After creating two small-scale models at FabLab Donostia, preliminary tests were carried out during the 2024/25 academic year. During this year, the team will focus on making the necessary adjustments to produce a full-scale version, which will allow students to work directly with project models and experiment with how natural light affects architectural design.
A project that connects theory and practice
The initiative stems from Nagore Urrutia del Campo’s research stay at the bioclimatic laboratory of the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and was materialised in 2023 with the aim of connecting descriptive geometry courses with environmental conditioning subjects, as well as integrating technical courses with architectural development subjects.
Architecture that enhances well-being
This work builds on the greenhouses constructed and monitored by Joseba Gainza Barrencua, which allow evaluation of how architectural design can improve well-being through passive conditioning strategies. In this way, the CAVIAR group reinforces the connection between theory, practice and sustainability in the education of architecture students.
