CYCLE – ways to make sustainable use of materials used in the faculties of architecture

In an era of digitization and climate change, it is important to have a sustainable approach to managing materials – in this case, those used in architecture departments. The aim of the research was to find sustainable methods of using paper and cardboard by architecture students, and to raise awareness from an early age. The research used an in-depth interview technique, a quantitative and statistical research method, a heuristic and an experimental method. Based on the research, it was estimated that during the five years of architectural studies, an amount of paper and cardboard consumed requires more than 600 trees to be cut down for their production. The experimental approach included workshops and “brainstorming” during which students considered ways to use the materials in question more sustainably. The result of these considerations is the “CYKL” exhibition opened on January 10, 2023 at the Faculty of Building and Architecture of Lublin University of Technology by the Koło Naukowe Architektury i Budownictwa Ekologicznego “Archinature”. It includes engineering, architectural and artistic installations depicting in an unconventional way the cycle of paper production, the cycle of its “life” and the transition to the digital era in architectural design. The exhibition was preceded by a workshop for elementary school children, who had active input into the construction of some of the installations.