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Abstract Given a compact doubling metric measure spaceXthat supports a 2-Poincaré inequality, we construct a Dirichlet form on$$N^{1,2}(X)$$ $N^{1,2}\left(X\right)$that is comparable to the upper gradient energy form on$$N^{1,2}(X)$$ $N^{1,2}\left(X\right)$. Our approach is based on the approximation ofXby a family of graphs that is doubling and supports a 2-Poincaré inequality (see [20]). We construct a bilinear form on$$N^{1,2}(X)$$ $N^{1,2}\left(X\right)$using the Dirichlet form on the graph. We show that the$$\Gamma $$ $\Gamma$-limit$$\mathcal {E}$$ $E$of this family of bilinear forms (by taking a subsequence) exists and that$$\mathcal {E}$$ $E$is a Dirichlet form onX. Properties of$$\mathcal {E}$$ $E$are established. Moreover, we prove that$$\mathcal {E}$$ $E$has the property of matching boundary values on a domain$$\Omega \subseteq X$$ $\Omega \subseteq X$. This construction makes it possible to approximate harmonic functions (with respect to the Dirichlet form$$\mathcal {E}$$ $E$) on a domain inXwith a prescribed Lipschitz boundary data via a numerical scheme dictated by the approximating Dirichlet forms, which are discrete objects.