This paper considers the role of a workshop as an educational approach and as a catalyst for positive change in the context of vulnerability and risk in the foothills of the Himalayas in the region of Uttarakhand, northern India. The paper will discuss the evolving pedagogy of Architecture Sans Frontières-UK (ASF-UK), an organisation that uses workshops as a primary tool to explore international development issues and help develop the relevant competencies for built environment professionals working in this sector. The workshop, and its catalytic potential, will be discussed and evaluated in relation to a case study: an international workshop coordinated by ASF-UK and partner, SEEDS India, which took place in Almora, Uttarakhand in 2010. The workshop marked the inception of a three year project which aims to facilitate improved building practices in symbiosis with disaster mitigation and wider development agendas through education, capacity building and prototype development.

Ernst, Sarah and Andrew Edwards. "Reducing Risk and Promoting Sustainability in the Foothills of the Himalayas: A Pedagogy for Teaching and Practicing Sustainable Development." ArchNet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 7, issue 3 (2013): 93-107.

Sarah Ernst and Andrew Edwards