Design from Teaching and Meaningful Learning

Addressing the realities of vulnerable rural communities in Colombia and developing an interdisciplinary educational approach where housing is a key element for sustainable development that fosters emotional well-being make education play a crucial role by integrating metacognitive didactic strategies that promote meaningful and responsible learning. This work contributes to research on vulnerable rural territories as opportunities for reflection on habitat and housing and the theme of “Education in Design.” The Social Housing Workshop, of the Faculty of Architecture, Design, and Urbanism at Universidad de La Salle, is a relevant space to reimagine and reflect on rural habitat. For this purpose, a method has been structured based on qualitative research into the systematization of experiences, applied to the design workshop, which incorporates comprehensive metacognitive processes articulated with participatory design practices. The analysis of results from this academic initiative, together with partners, seeks to overcome or mitigate these realities by creating contextualized designs that integrate community participation and sustainable solutions in water-related territories. The experience has identified advances such as the reconfiguration of collaborative spaces that foster social, group, and individual interaction, active participation in the development of educational strategies, and creativity in constructing arguments from different discourses in diverse environments and audiences. Finally, collaboration between these disciplinary fields has been fundamental to achieve a holistic and effective education, allowing the development of meaningful cognitive anchors in which the student, as a manager, takes responsibility for their own process.