The last century saw vernacular building techniques and knowledge being substituted by industrial and technological materials, namely in the context of cheap oil prices, which facilitated the construction with materials coming from all over the world. However, with raising energy costs, there is an increasing interest in producing with local resources and improve energy self-sufficiency on buildings. By doing so, it is contributing for lowering the ecological footprint associated with construction and maintenance of buildings, minimizing environmental impacts. To guarantee that low skilled construction workers and/or professionals can have access to this know-how, that knowledge about legal aspects is more solid, and that popular and scientific knowledge are put together to find solutions able to answer to the current resources and environmental context is our aim. The intention and objective is to spread, exchange techniques and clarify legal issues connected to this architectural and technological knowledge between the European partners involved, to enable citizens to construct and maintain buildings, based in sustainability principles. In a european crisis context, where the unemployment grew, in particular the one related to the construction sector where the workers majority are low skilled, immigrants or minorities, having already less opportunities to get out of a mainly precarious work cycle, LearnBIØN has the objective to reinforce adults key competences, especially regarding social and civic, sense of initiative, entrepreneurship, self esteem and responsibility towards the self and the others and sustainability issues. Empowering people to act strongly to build their own community and to build their own learning and professional path, is the expected result. Building the inner self through constructing a mark on the community built environment mirrors this parallel approach between the built object and the development of the one who builds it. BIØN strives at being the missing link, to help fostering and disseminating this cooperation and its results at the European, and worldwide level. To foster knowledge transfer, the implementation of trust systems of validation and recognition of the skills, competences and knowledge, using EU tools, such as European Qualification Framework and the introduction and development of ECVET credit system, is a priority. Project’s goal is to create a network of architects, master builders, engineers and researchers working and teaching basic notions of sustainability, low environmental impact architecture and energetic strategies for autonomous buildings. In order to do so: 1) research and recover vernacular techniques, work being done by each partner as a mission along the last years; 2) reinterpret at contemporary sustainability standards and needs; 3) develop methodologies to spread this knowledge and train people 4) implementing validation system in order to solidify this training methods. In order to achieve this, the LearnBIØN project is born, aiming to answer the need for innovative ways to train target groups, with a practical approach to sustainability and citizenship. This network involves seven different partners including grass root organisations, NGO’s, Research Centres, Universities and Architecture Offices working with different techniques, technologies and methods to be shared in diverse contexts, especially by people outside the main research circles, with particular attention to low skilled adults, unemployed, minorities and NEET. The members of the network share a deep understanding of their local and social context and a common preoccupation in building ecologically. BIØN proposes with this project the organization of an european wide research and training activities that promote the appropriation of these techniques by the local population, and the low skilled professionals in the field. LearnBIØN expects to train directly 140 people, in 7 courses in different European countries (resulting in 6 built didactic prototypes), create a website to share the research results and to be a on-line training platform, 8 guides and 7 exhibitions to spread the outcomes of this project, multiplying the reach of the project exponentially. BIØN aims at being a long-lasting and growing partnership, producing open knowledge on low impacts construction, and contributing to address the challenges that our societies are currently facing. The Building Impact Zero Network (BIØN) believes that 1+1=3, and thus combines contemporary knowledge, communication technology and tools with vernacular intelligence. Learn to innovate with tradition, walking the future knowing the ways of the past.