Framing architecture as a powerful tool for social change, the workshop introduced students to the growing reality of environmental refugees – communities forced to relocate due to the effects of climate change. Students were asked to step into the role of designers and problem-solvers, exploring how the built environment can respond compassionately and creatively to global challenges.

Working in small teams, students tackled three critical climate scenarios: flooding, extreme heat, and high winds. Each group was tasked with designing and constructing large-scale, climate-adapted shelters using simple materials, while also developing placemaking plans – visual maps that imagined how displaced communities might live, gather, and rebuild a sense of home and belonging.

The workshop offered students the hands-on opportunity to engage with real-world design thinking and highlighted how architecture can be a lens through which young people can consider some of the biggest challenges of our time.

The day sparked great conversations around resilience, belonging and the social role of design, and was a fantastic showcase of creativity and insight.