Architecture students from the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), Luc Harris and Tom Williams, unveiled and constructed their competition-winning design: the Mobile Climate Action Headquarters. The live build demonstrated assembling the prototype in front of more than 40 architecture students from across the UK, becoming a central feature of the festival. It offered a hands-on showcase of sustainable design in action.
“This has been a brilliant experience for both of us,” said Luc Harris. “Meeting and learning alongside students from so many architecture schools across the UK and beyond has been incredibly inspiring. We’re proud that our Climate Action HQ could play such a key role at the festival and even more excited that it will now continue its journey, starting with the Glasgow School of Art, as a traveling Climate Activist Headquarters.”
The festival, hosted by the Students Climate Action Network (StuCAN, the student branch of the Architects Climate Action Network: ACAN), took place at Civic House, Glasgow, from the 18th to 19th October. Over 120 students from across the UK and Ireland gathered for a weekend of talks, roundtable discussions, and hands-on workshops, all dedicated to empowering the next generation of architects to address the climate emergency through the power of design.
“It was an incredible experience to be part of this year’s StuCAN Festival,” added Tom Williams. “Building the Climate Action HQ as part of a live workshop allowed us to share traditional construction techniques and involve other students directly in the build. The rest of the weekend was packed with insightful sessions on climate action and sustainable design. It really inspired us to think about how we can apply what we learned to our own studio work. I’d encourage any UWTSD students interested in sustainability and design to get involved with StuCAN, as it’s a fantastic way to connect, collaborate, and make a difference. We’re now hoping to establish a UWTSD StuCAN Action Group very soon.”
First designed in April 2025, the Mobile Climate Action HQ embodied the festival’s overarching theme of ‘Entanglement’, exploring the connections between people, disciplines, and ideas in tackling the climate crisis. The mobile structure is intended to be assembled, dismantled, and transported multiple times, allowing it to visit architectural schools across the UK throughout the academic year.
“This is a unique experience for both staff and students,” said Ian Standen, Program Director of Architecture at UWTSD. “It’s rare for a student design to be prototyped in a workshop and then constructed live at a national festival. The Climate Action HQ’s mobility means it can continue its journey, engaging students from other universities and inspiring further collaboration around climate action in architecture.”
A StuCAN spokesperson added, “Entanglement was about the connection between people, disciplines, and ideas. We wanted students to experience what climate-positive design looks and feels like in practice, and to build it together.”
A volunteer, student-led organizing team helped make the festival an inclusive space for all. They provided subsidized travel and accommodation through crowdfunding and university support. In turn, the event reinforces the growing movement in architectural education concerning climate literacy and sustainable design principles at the heart of the discipline.
“With the backing of universities and supporters, we’ve shown that a student-led movement can create real impact,” said the StuCAN organizing team. “It’s inspiring to see so many young architects step forward to reimagine the role of design in creating a sustainable future.”
