Seminarweek FS 24: Valley Ecology

While the Swiss alpine landscape is dominated by its mountains, it is the valleys that structure its territories and that have fostered human settlement through the ages. Their specific natural conditions are determined by questions of location, orientation, geology, altitude and hydrology among many others. The interplay of these elements results in a rich tapestry of environments, defined by altitudes and seasons.

During the Seminar Week in spring 2024, we will explore public drawings, a form of collective hand drawings, as a means to understand the ecology of a specific alpine valley, the Val di Blenio in Ticino. By drawing a section through this valley at the scale of 1:500, we will try to better understand what different built and unbuilt environments exist at which altitudes, how they function and how they are connected with one-another. Through an informed understanding of the historical and ecological dimensions, but also by analysing local and seasonal conditions, we will try to unearth the networks and interdependencies that characterize the specific environments of this condensed landscape.

Students will work together in small groups to produce large scale drawings on site, each making up a small part of the whole section. Through this study, we aim to capture a precise understanding of the Val di Blenio, but also to foster a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics that define alpine the landscapes as such.