Studio as a climate laboratory for integrating environmental science and adaptive reuse in architectural education

Abstract Architectural education faces increasing pressure to equip future practitioners with the ability to respond to sustainability, cultural continuity, and resource constraints through evidence-based design. Yet, the traditional studio model still privileges intuition and formal exploration over empirical inquiry and technical integration. This paper presents a case study of the Adaptive Reuse Studio at the University of Notre Dame, a graduate-level design course developed in collaboration with the Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative. Students engaged in the adaptive reuse of a 1920s Gothic arch barn at the Notre Dame Linked Experimental Ecosystem Facility, integrating site analysis, stakeholder interviews, environmental simulations, and precedent studies into design proposals. Final projects achieved modeled net-zero energy performance, water reuse strategies, and embodied carbon reductions while preserving historic integrity. The studio advanced student competencies in research literacy, systems thinking, and performance-based design, while also addressing accreditation criteria in research, equity, and building integration. At the same time, tensions emerged around student expectations, project complexity, and the cultural norms of studio pedagogy. Framing adaptive reuse as both a sustainability strategy and a pedagogical method, the paper positions research-centered studios as a pathway to align architectural education with Sustainable Development Goals 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 13 (Climate Action).