Course Contents
The Safiental in the canton of Graubünden is located at an altitude of 1300-2000 meters in one of the wildest and most sparsely populated natural landscapes in Switzerland. Our design area spans the entire valley, and here we will hold a three-and-a-half-week Summer School as the main part of the design course.
A distinctive feature of the picturesque Safiental is the traditional architecture, scattered loosely across the steep slopes, which is closely linked to the way the valley used to be managed agriculturally.
In cooperation with local experts and regional stakeholders such as farmers, craftsmen, conservationists, and restaurateurs, who are committed to preserving the cultural landscape, vernacular buildings, and the sustainable development of the alpine region, we will thoroughly analyze and learn about the Safiental.
Together, we will design concepts and tangible construction and renovation projects for the structural transformation of the area. In addition to agriculture, tourism and hydropower energy generation are the largest industries in the region. All of these economic sectors are undergoing significant structural changes. As a result, many agricultural buildings, such as barns of various sizes, hay storage, or communal bakeries, are left vacant. At the same time, there is an increasing demand for modern agricultural buildings, (temporary) housing such as accommodations for hikers and alpine sports enthusiasts, and social meeting places for village communities.
[b]Participation in the Summer School from June 20, 2025, to July 14, 2025, is mandatory for participants of the design course.
[url=https://www.enb.architektur.tu-darmstadt.de/lehre_enb/lehre_semesterprogramm_enb/sommersemester_2025/ss_25_uebersicht.de.jsp]more information on our homepage[/url][/b]
Online Offerings
Moodle
- Lecturer: Florian Böttcher
- Lecturer: Viola Frick
- Lecturer: Christoph Kuhn
- Lecturer: Peter Wichmann