Urban Ecology Laboratory

Course Title

Urban Ecology Laboratory

Course Description of Regional Living Lab

Today, the world is facing multiple interconnected challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and growing social inequality. This condition is increasingly described as a “polycrisis,” in which environmental, social, and economic crises reinforce one another. Climate breakdown is expected to alter how people perceive and interact with their surroundings fundamentally. Consequently, it is more important than ever to imagine alternative ways of producing and inhabiting space. In response to these challenges, theoretical perspectives associated with the “ontological turn” and “multispecies co-living” have begun to rethink the relationship between humans and nature. This perspective challenges human exceptionalism and emphasizes care, reciprocity, and coexistence. In the field of architecture, such approaches open new possibilities for more inclusive and collaborative forms of spatial production.

As Bulgaria’s capital and largest city, Sofia is the country’s most populous urban centre, with over 1.2 million inhabitants, and one of its most economically developed and prosperous regions. At the same time, however, the recognized global challenges are intensified by a series of local conditions. The centralized planning system inherited from the socialist period, combined with extensive urban expansion in the decades that followed, has contributed to a situation in which citizens often feel disconnected from decision-making processes related to the built environment. As a result, the understanding of public space as a shared civic resource has gradually weakened, while opportunities for meaningful public participation remain limited.

These circumstances create a need for new forms of architectural and biological education that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries and place students in direct contact with real spatial, social, and ecological challenges. In this context, the main subject of the proposed Urban Ecology Laboratory is the collective research, activation, and gradual transformation of underutilized university space into an inclusive public space that supports both human and nature. 

The laboratory is located in Lozenets District: the place presents an underused and currently neglected area within the shared campus environment of the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG) and the Faculty of Biology at Sofia University, together with a temporary pavilion located adjacent to the site. 

At the urban scale, the project seeks to test and demonstrate a bottom-up model of urban transformation that empowers diverse stakeholders and highlights the need for new forms of public space in Sofia. It addresses broader challenges related to citizen participation, ecological sustainability, and the integration of social and environmental concerns into spatial planning. At the local scale, the selected site is characterized by underuse, spatial fragmentation, and limited accessibility. It functions as both a physical and symbolic barrier: between the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG) and the Faculty of Biology of Sofia University, and between these academic institutions and the surrounding urban fabric. This condition limits opportunities for interaction, collaboration, and public engagement. The Urban Ecology Laboratory will address these challenges by engaging stakeholders in the co-creation of a shared vision for the site. Through participatory processes, the project will respond to social, environmental, and spatial needs while exploring adaptive and ecologically sensitive strategies for its long-term revitalization.

Partners ecosystem will combine complementary expertise and responsibilities:
-        Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” (confirmed) – site host and academic partner;
-        Sofiaplan (optional) – link to urban planning policies and municipal development;
-        Lozenets District Administration (optional) – local institutional partner;
-        The Collective (confirmed) – participatory urban transformation and stakeholder engagement;
-        Circular Economy Institute (confirmed) – circular economy and sustainability expertise;
-        Blue Cube Foundation (confirmed) – artistic research and cultural methodologies;
-        Underschool_ (confirmed) – educational innovation and experimental pedagogies;
-        Residents and community groups from Lozenets – co-creators and future users of the site.

The RLL is expected to generate educational, community, spatial, and dissemination impacts by fostering interdisciplinary teaching, stakeholder collaboration, and site activation through cultural and spatial interventions. Its outcomes will be documented through exhibitions and publications, ensuring long-term accessibility and broader societal relevance.

Learning Outcomes

The primary educational objective of the Urban Ecology Laboratory is to demonstrate that alternative approaches to spatial production are both possible and necessary in response to contemporary environmental and social challenges. The laboratory introduces students to practices that seek to mediate the interests of multiple stakeholders to create shared public spaces that serve the broader community. By engaging students in the entire process, from site exploration and analysis to the definition of project goals and the implementation of experimental interventions, the laboratory will provide them with a practical and transferable toolkit for future professional practice. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary character of the project will expose students to collaborative modes of working that are increasingly required to address the complex and interconnected “wicked problems” of the twenty-first century.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge of: the principles and values of the New European Bauhaus; the interrelationships between urban environments, ecological systems, and biodiversity; adaptive reuse strategies for underutilized urban spaces; circular approaches to design and construction; participatory methods and citizen engagement in spatial planning and decision-making; the role of artistic and visual practices in interpreting, communicating, and transforming urban environments; interdisciplinary approaches to urban ecological challenges.

Students will develop practical skills in: site observation, mapping, and territorial analysis; interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork; communication and engagement with diverse stakeholders; the design and facilitation of participatory workshops and public events; the development of spatial concepts and future scenarios; the use of analogue photography, digital media, and artistic research methods for documenting and interpreting urban environments; the design, organization, and implementation of exhibitions and public presentations; critical reflection on the social, ecological, and cultural dimensions of spatial interventions.

The course will foster the development of: a strong sense of social and civic responsibility; ecological awareness and sensitivity toward both human and non-human forms of life; respect for diverse forms of knowledge, expertise, and lived experience; an appreciation of collaborative and participatory approaches to spatial transformation; an understanding of the importance of collective action in addressing environmental and social challenges.

The Urban Ecology Laboratory is closely aligned with the values and working principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Compass by integrating sustainability, inclusion, and beauty through place-based, collaborative, and experiential learning. Students will engage directly with a real urban site, enabling them to develop practical knowledge and competencies related to urban ecology, adaptive reuse, circular design practices, and biodiversity enhancement. Through this process, they will gain first-hand experience in addressing environmental and social challenges while contributing to the transformation of their local surroundings.

• Beautiful: The laboratory promotes the NEB value of Beautiful by exploring beauty as a meaningful relationship between people, place, and nature. Through spatial experimentation, artistic practices, visual research, and collective interpretation of the site, students will investigate how ecological and social values can be translated into engaging, accessible, and thought-provoking spatial experiences. Beauty is understood not only as an aesthetic quality but also as a catalyst for care, belonging, and environmental awareness.
• Together: In line with the NEB value of Together, the laboratory fosters collaboration among students, educators, local communities, non-governmental organizations, cultural practitioners, and public institutions. Participants will develop competencies in co-creation, dialogue, negotiation, and shared decision-making while gaining experience in working with diverse perspectives, interests, and forms of knowledge. The project encourages active citizenship and strengthens students’ capacity to engage constructively with complex social and environmental issues.
• Working Principles: The learning model also reflects the NEB working principles of participation, transdisciplinarity, and multi-level engagement. By combining academic and non-academic knowledge and connecting local initiatives with institutional actors, the laboratory creates a real-world learning environment in which students become active contributors to the ecological, social, and cultural transformation of their surroundings. Through this approach, students will not only acquire disciplinary knowledge and practical skills but will also develop the collaborative, critical, and creative capacities required to contribute to a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future.

Prerequisites for the Course 

None

Registration Info and Deadline

i. Winter semester of the 2026/2027 academic year: September 2026
ii. Summer semester of the 2026/2027 academic year: February 2027

At a Glance

To top