Due to climate change, political and societal demands for the greening of the building sector are increasing. The use of regionally renewable building materials, such as wood, is recognised as one of the main strategies whose potential cannot be fully exploited due to the lack of specialised know-how in the building sector. The present project responds to this challenge through a cross-border cooperation between five European universities. The partnership aims to conduct strategic research on the conditions necessary for the design and construction of multi-storey timber buildings, and to develop guidelines and principles to align the demands of the building sector with current academic education. The transdisciplinary elective module, developed through three international workshops and combined with innovative teaching and learning methods such as problem-based learning (PBL) and integral planning, provides students with specialized training in timber design methods and prepares them for the global requirements and changing demands in the construction industry.

The application of industrialized timber in large-volume buildings is considered as one main strategy promoting sustainability in the construction sector. Austrian timber construction ecosystem is mainly conformed by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that are mostly limited to single and multiple housing projects and it is rarely represented in multi-storey buildings. Within a five days' workshop, 19 experts from research and practice including SMEs, discussed the challenges and potentials, and specially the implication of SMEs, by the completion of those, exchanging experiences and expertise. The workshop was inductive coded looking for factors affecting the design and construction process, in which seven categories were defined containing 33 overall concepts with 105 factors embedded. Further, a SWOT analysis was conducted, in which over half of all factors are conflicts, mostly related to the coordination of the team along the process, mainly caused by the lack of an integrated design approach. Highly positive rated are those aspects related to greater levels of prefabrication, while general rising awareness together with political support represent relevant opportunities, and common prejudices a threat. This overview of the sector may help further research to develop strategies focused on handling internal factors to exploit opportunities and minimize threats.

Due to climate change, together with the need to reduce the ecological footprint and the future resource shortages, a climate-resilient and resource-conserving architecture must be reinforced. Dealing with the issue of resources not only affects the materialisation of the building, but also the handling of resources on the building site. The interactions between the environment (sun, wind, precipitation), buildings, sealing, plants and people form a complex system in which small changes in few factors can influence the situation on a large scale. In this context, topics such as microclimate improvement around built infrastructure through greening and rainwater management, will gain in importance. The correct assessment of measures for a sustainable and resilient building is extremely complex and time-consuming and requires extensive, multi-layered know-how and experience. This paper analyses the project “House of Learning“ (MAGK Architekten) and its immediate surroundings and focuses on its climate resilience and neutrality, proposing improvement measures based on the interaction of blue and green infrastructure and the building. The potential favourable conditions are evaluated through microclimate simulations and planning principles implying an integral approach which includes landscape gardeners, building planners and constructors, as well as decision-makers.