Water is the wealth of Banyalbufar. It is the element that turns the steep slopes of the municipality into a productive garden. A centuries-old network of channels and reservoirs distributes the water that accumulates in underground aquifers inside the mountains onto the terraced fields. Vine, tomatoes, lemon, and olive trees grow here, crops that nourish the Mediterranean way of life.
Learning objective
The original agrarian society of Mallorca, however, has long vanished and new actors have entered the scene: Witty goats are sneaking onto the cultivated terraces to snack on the crops and pine trees are stretching their roots causing dry-stone-walls to collapse. Ever more often unpredictable forces - wildfires and tornadoes - are fighting over the sovereignty of the territory.
During the seminar week, we will follow the water on the slopes of Banyalbufar, from the mountain top to the Balearic sea, and all the traces it has left in between. We will learn from the irrigation system and celebrate water as the source of life, invited and accompanied and guided by local geologists, historians, and architects. We will hike to the local wells, survey the state of the water reservoirs, maintain dry-stone walls, celebrate the fruits of the irrigated fields and listen to the elderly of the village on how the water is governed and distributed. Throughout the week we will hike, swim, observe, listen, taste and feast, building a collective understanding of the place with the aim to uncover potentials of this landscape.
Prerequisites / Notice
To offer you the most affordable and flexible travel options, we ask you to arrange your own flights to and from Palma (included in price category C). The official program lasts from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon. Accommodation, breakfast, and dinner are included.
Prof. Teresa Galí-Izard Banyalbufar, Mallorca 22nd - 27th of October 2023 Price category C (max. 750 CHF) 10 - 20 students Contact: Stefan Breit, breit@arch.ethz.ch
Competencies
Subject-specific Competencies
Concepts and Theories
assessed
Techniques and Technologies
assessed
Method-specific Competencies
Analytical Competencies
assessed
Decision-making
assessed
Media and Digital Technologies
assessed
Problem-solving
assessed
Project Management
fostered
Social Competencies
Communication
assessed
Cooperation and Teamwork
fostered
Customer Orientation
fostered
Leadership and Responsibility
fostered
Self-presentation and Social Influence
fostered
Sensitivity to Diversity
assessed
Negotiation
assessed
Personal Competencies
Adaptability and Flexibility
assessed
Creative Thinking
assessed
Critical Thinking
assessed
Integrity and Work Ethics
fostered
Self-awareness and Self-reflection
assessed
Self-direction and Self-management
fostered
Performance assessment
Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again)
Performance assessment as a semester course
: Special students and auditors need a special permission from the lecturers