As part of the "European Universities Designing the Horizons of Sustainability (SHEs)" project, funded by the European Commission and coordinated by the University of Algarve (UAlg), sustainable initiatives on the Gambelas campus have been expanded. The UAlg community and visitors now have access to three outdoor classrooms/meeting spaces and a shelter for “Happy strays” (UAlg V+) that promotes healthy interaction with animals.
UAlg Strengthens Spaces for Sustainable Campus Initiatives
These green campus facilities aim to support innovative teaching practices and provide informal meeting spaces for students, teachers, researchers, and even entrepreneurs. Sustainable and recycled materials were used in the construction of these areas, including a repurposed boat for the animal shelter and various recycled materials for the outdoor classrooms.
Each outdoor classroom reflects a specific concept:
- Room 1: Focused on the reuse of cement benches, dedicated to conventional teaching (students sit in rows facing the speaker).
- Room 2: Made with tables and benches simulating wood recycled from plastic, designed for cooperative learning, with group tables and space for the instructor to move among them.
- Room 3: Built with recycled concrete, it supports a non-hierarchical teaching model, where participants sit in a circle.
Professor Ana Paula Silva designed the classrooms, while researcher Inês Sousa envisioned the animal shelter. The implementation was carried out with the support of UAlg Alumni companies, Algarve Landscape Architects, MDX Gardens.
