Climate Education at Wally Farms

In the beginning of April, Columbia-Barnard students sheltering at home around the world signed onto their devices for a virtual tour of Wally Farms.

The class--lead by architect and professor Jerome Haferd, was a digital introduction to the Climate Action Lab, was originally conceived as a hands-on workshop for young architects to design and construct a net-zero sustainable housing prototype. 

The brainchild of urban designer Kaja Kühl and architect Roger Cardinal, the Lab will introduce concepts in carbon footprint reduction through the use of carbon-negative materials and passive energy techniques to be used in small, affordable dwellings that are adaptable to different environments. 

The current Covid19 crisis presents so many lessons for addressing the climate crisis, from recognizing existing inequities and vulnerabilities in housing in our current market-driven society, to the necessity of merging long-trusted local traditions and skills with emerging technologies.

Covid19 also presents Wally Farms’ current partners with the unique challenge of adapting their experiments to the virtual landscape. 
Originally slated for summer 2020 as a week-long hands-on workshop, the Climate Action Lab will now take place digitally.