Abstract

Facing the imminent process of change in climatic conditions and the scarcity of water resources in the city of Santiago de Chile, the opportunity to explore how citizen participation could operate as a didactic strategy for the architect training is presented. Through a social innovation project, new abilities and knowledge are developed in order to face the socio-environmental conflicts linked to the increase of the drought in the city. The instance seeks to explore participatory strategies for the recovery of rainwater in public spaces of the city allowing different levels of student's involvement in a professional project. The aim is to explore the architect's new role as a mediator between the inhabitants and the interdisciplinary teams, creating the collaborative and participatory work environment of the future.