Abstract

This chapter lays out Solar Decathlon India (SDI) as a different and scalable model for educating architects and engineers about net zero and climate-resilient buildings. It proposes that the framework of SDI can be used by educational institutions to create a learning environment that is hands-on and engaging for the learning of theory and its application. Buildings, responsible for 39% of global carbon dioxide emissions, present a significant opportunity to reduce carbon emissions, especially in India, where economic growth along with urbanisation will cause floor space to double by 2040. However, India has struggled to scale up the construction of low-carbon buildings. Among the many reasons for this, this chapter focuses on academia, where sustainable buildings that are low-carbon and climate resilient have been largely ignored in the curricula, even as the threat of climate change loomed large. This chapter summarises the SDI competition, where over four years, faculty and students from over 300 academic institutions across India taught and learned deeply and differently. The focus on innovative and net zero building design was exciting to students. The flipped classroom approach was appreciated by the faculty. The multidisciplinary, team-based, project-based, and place-based learning with industry partnerships gave students a grounding in reality and developed their soft skills. The hybrid online–offline approach enabled scaling up of the learning that surpassed expectations. Elements of this approach could be adopted in the education for mitigating climate change and its effects.