How to build more sustainably ?

KidsUni offers bilingual French-German workshops to discover the research environment and get an insight into science at the University of Fribourg with field professionals.

Would you like to know everything about the future of buildings and how they can influence our well-being? In this workshop, you will discover, with the help of virtual reality and augmented reality, how to design buildings with a low carbon footprint. Dreaming of becoming an architect? You will also have the opportunity to build a small life-size structure with eco-friendly materials. But be careful, the life around a building is also very important. There are many tough decisions to make that can influence your lifestyle. This is where mathematics comes into play.

Given the current climate challenges, the way we design and use buildings must be reconsidered. This is the role of the Smart Living Lab: to use fundamental research, applied research, and innovation to create smarter, more energy-efficient, and more comfortable buildings and lifestyles.

Architects, mathematicians, and other specialists from various disciplines such as law, engineering, and humanities work together to provide concrete solutions to housing challenges, in terms of renovation, urban planning, or building energy performance.

In Short

For whom: children aged 9 to 11 years
When: Wednesday, September 25, from 14:00 to 16:30
Where: Halle bleue de Bluefactory, Passage du Cardinal 13B, Fribourg. Meeting point in the atrium
Equipment: closed shoes
Contact: infokidsuni@unifr.ch
Registration: opening soon

Workshops

Construction of an Arch and Beams at the PopUp Workshop

In this construction workshop, you will learn how an arch and a beam work. Through a practical exercise, you will intuitively understand how loads are transmitted through the material and how shape can enhance load-bearing capacity. Hani Buri and Charles Riedo from the TRANSFORM Institute (HEIA-FR) will help you build an arch with wooden blocks using a hanger, which will then be removed. With three slats, they will also show you how to make several beams with different sections and test them by walking over them.

Virtual and Augmented Reality for Buildings

The Building2050 Group (EPFL), led by Sergi Aguacil, uses virtual reality and augmented reality to exploit the BIM digital models of the future Smart Living Lab building. In this workshop, he will present a prototype digital twin of the CELLS research infrastructure, accessible in virtual reality, allowing human-building interactions, such as temperature visualization and lighting control. Thanks to augmented reality, you will also have the opportunity to activate different layers of information on the model and plan of the Smart Living Lab building, such as the architectural concept, building structure, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Sanitary, and Electricity) systems, radon protection measures, photovoltaic installation, and solar irradiation map.