Architectural training for water sustainability 2 2

Perceptions and practices of students and graduates of the UAEMEX

Abstract

The increasing pressure on the availability of water resources has transformed the world of urban design and planning in recent decades. For architects, the relationship between the territory, infrastructure and the availability of water has become an unavoidable professional need, especially in the State of Mexico, where problems of supply and overconsumption of aquifers mean that a significant part of the population faces conditions of vulnerability of this vital liquid. This research addresses a transcomplex perspective that establishes a relationship between education, environmental culture, water use practices, and the professional training of students and graduates of the Faculty of Architecture and Design of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEMéx) in this area. The research is holistic, relational and transdisciplinary, analyzing the dimensions of the phenomenon and how the transcomplexity of water management in education is a necessity for them. It confirms a positive vision of water resources, although it experiences certain training limitations that prevent the incorporation of sustainable practices. According to this document, improving water sustainability requires educational strategies that articulate knowledge, experience, and ethical commitments for the training of professionals capable of responding to contemporary socio-environmental challenges. The results show differences between the interest expressed in the topic and the formative experiences reported by the participants.