Conceived at a moment when sustainable development is both urgent and imperative, the workshop embraced learning as exploration, inviting participants to engage through making, observing, questioning, and reflecting rather than conventional instruction. The program uniquely combined hands-on construction techniques using bamboo, earth, and dry-building methods with policy dialogues, site visits, and campus sustainability practices, fostering a comprehensive understanding of how design, governance, and lived realities intersect in shaping the built environment.
The workshop drew students, educators, practitioners, and policymakers from across Pakistan, creating a collaborative space to rethink housing and urban resilience rooted in local context and informed by real-world practice. Participants engaged in intensive training sessions on bamboo and dry construction, policy and governance, satellite data mapping, design thinking, air quality management, structural modeling, urban resilience, nature-based solutions, climate adaptation, and an overview of BNU’s campus-wide environmental sustainability initiatives.
In addition, participants visited landmark sites including Tipu Sultan Markaz, BNU’s Green Experience Center, and EcoSmart Campus initiatives, gaining hands-on exposure to innovative sustainability practices and climate-responsive design strategies. The workshop provided a unique platform for knowledge exchange, inspiring new ways of thinking about housing, community, and environmental stewardship in Pakistan’s urban and social landscapes.
BNU and PHATA expressed their commitment to continuing such collaborative, practice- oriented initiatives that bridge education, governance, and community engagement, reinforcing the role of interdisciplinary approaches in addressing Pakistan’s housing and environmental challenges.
