The LAT Serrenti training center (Earth Arts Laboratory) operates as a territorial Living Lab aligned with the principles of the New European Bauhaus, dedicated to sustainable, inclusive, and participatory approaches in the field of earth architecture, low environmental impact construction, and sustainable design based on Nature-based Solutions (NBS). Located in Serrenti (Sardinia, Italy), LAT operates as the operational headquarters of the International Association of Earth Architecture Cities, within a partnership with the Municipality of Serrenti.
LAT Serrenti operates as an experimental environment, integrating vocational education and training (VET), higher education, applied research, and local community participation. The DICAAR – Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering of the University of Cagliari assumes scientific responsibility for the educational and research activities conducted at the center. These include university courses with a strong practical component on earth architecture and sustainable development, the activities of the UNESCO UNITWIN Chair “Building Cultures of Earth Architecture and Sustainable Development”, coordinated by Prof. Maddalena Achenza, as well as the experimentation of advanced and digital tools, including a 3D printer made available in collaboration with Sardegna Ricerche. International workshops (such as Full Immersion in Earth), thematic seminars, and training events foster transdisciplinary knowledge exchange at local and European levels.
The training activities of LAT Serrenti are supported by European-certified trainers. In particular, Alessandro Serra and Alina Negru (founders of Atelier Terrapia) are certified trainers of the LEARN EARTH network, which operates on the basis of a Memorandum of Understanding for the application of the ECVET system in the field of earth architecture and natural materials. The trainers possess solid experience in designing modular training pathways, oriented toward learning outcomes and competencies, with a strong focus on green skills, environmental sustainability, and experiential learning. This certification helps ensure the quality, transparency, and European transferability of the competencies acquired by participants. LAT aims to become an important training center for earth construction for students, designers, and construction professionals in the Mediterranean basin.
A central dimension of the NEB at LAT Serrenti is the co-creative and participatory approach, developed in collaboration with Atelier TERRApia, which contributes to both training activities and the management of the LOLlab (Creative Hub). The LOLlab operates as an open innovation and cultural environment, in which citizens, artisans, designers, students, and professionals participate in practical workshops, creative practices, and collaborative processes. These activities promote social inclusion, intergenerational learning, cultural expression, and well-being, rooting ecological transitions in daily life and local identity.
The Living Lab model of LAT Serrenti is further strengthened by the contribution of Terras, an association active in educational, training, and awareness-raising activities on sustainability, natural materials, and the relationship between the built environment and community. LAT activities are also integrated with the involvement of local sports associations, which promote inclusive and intergenerational practices for children, young people, adults, and elderly persons, fostering well-being, active participation, and social cohesion. A further defining element is represented by the cultural and community activities related to the community oven, facilitated with the support of the Pro Loco, the Civil Protection, and other local organizations, which involve the entire community in moments of gathering, collective production, and valorization of traditions. These practices strengthen the role of LAT as a NEB proximity space, in which environmental sustainability, culture, social relations, and quality of life are concretely interwoven.
