An Environmental Beacon for the Neighborhood is an autonomous, modular, and scalable technological infrastructure, assembled and maintained by the school community, designed to collect, measure, assess, and openly share environmental and social data from the surroundings of the school in which it is installed.

The structure will house a range of sensors—including PM10 particulate matter, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and other environmental variables—as well as noise and gas pollution monitors. It may also incorporate additional devices such as a camera and a closed Wi-Fi network that can serve the school community as an internal communication system.

From a design perspective, an Environmental Beacon is a portable, modular, and durable structure standing between 4 and 6 metres tall. Equipped with solar panels that efficiently harvest available daylight, it is designed to operate with full energy autonomy. Beyond its functional role, the beacon is conceived as a distinctive landmark that contributes to the identity and character of the neighbourhood.

The project is intended to be developed over the course of a full academic year through an educational programme in which students actively participate in its design, assembly, deployment, and maintenance, while strengthening their technical, scientific, and digital skills.

Ultimately, the Environmental Beacon is an initiative that fosters environmental and technological literacy, civic responsibility, and mutual support within the local community, creating shared infrastructures that operate independently of existing institutional or commercial platforms.

Winning project of the Udaberria ’23 Artistic Residency at Hibridalab (Vitoria-Gasteiz).

From 23.10.22 to 08.05.23

Project in an early development stage