THE UNIVERSITY AS AN URBAN LABORATORY:LEARNING THROUGH INTERDISCIPLINARY INTERACTION

Abstract

Background. In the context of wartime challenges in Ukraine, the need to establish a resilient professional and academic network has become increasingly urgent. Such a network should ensure the timely testing and implementation of new scientific knowledge and practices aimed at shaping the foundations for current and future post-war reconstruction. The purpose of this article is to analyse a pilot case of interdisciplinary collaboration between university teachers and students, focusing on jointly solving research and practical tasks and exploring effective formats and tools for training professionals in architecture, urban studies, and urban planning.

Methods. As an example of interdisciplinary university collaboration, the study examines the joint participation of master’s students in the Architecture of Buildings and Structures program at Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture and bachelor’s students in the Urban Studies and Urban Planning program at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv who collaborated on two projects: regeneration of a mass housing area in Kyiv (academic year 2023/2024) and revitalisation of a library and its surrounding public space in the township of Makariv, Kyiv region (academic year 2024/2025).

Results. The educational process was brought as close as possible to real professional practice. A gamified learning process ensured that each participant’s actions contributed to the collective outcome. The BIM platform Bimplus functioned not only as a technical design tool but also as a means of effective real-time communication. This approach fostered team responsibility, independence, and motivation, preparing students for professional work in the context of post-war reconstruction and in accordance with the principles of sustainable territorial development.

Conclusions. A pilot study of interdisciplinary collaboration among university lecturers and students in the field of urban development has confirmed the effectiveness of integrating project-based learning tools into the educational process. The interaction and complementarity of expertise from different disciplines in addressing real-life challenges of specific urban areas contribute to the development of critical spatial thinking, the enhancement of soft skills, and the ability to reach balanced, compromise-based decisions. An effective format of interdisciplinary collaboration in training professionals in architecture, urban studies, and urban planning involves the use of digital tools, particularly BIM technology.