Participants will investigate material flows and learn about innovative timber-stone hybrid structures, analysing their implications for the future landscape. Emphasis will be placed on discovering ways to increase the use of local materials, fostering a shift toward sustainable construction practices. The program encourages participants to think critically about new design approaches that can support the revival and integration of traditional methods in modern architecture. Additionally, the course seeks to visualise stakeholder networks and identify opportunities for synergies, promoting collaboration within a bio-regional circular economy.

The third edition of the Summer School “Wood and the City” explores the role of wood as a partner to other materials, specifically with a focus on its relationship with stone. We will examine how the use of these materials and their combination in construction affects both the landscape and architecture expression.
Collaboration between academia and industry continues to be at the heart of the Summer School. To support this, the program will include visits to timber and stone producers with its factories and quarries, giving students a direct experience with the relationship between architecture, construction, and the environment.
A key focus will be to gain an understanding of the diversity of woods and stones from different regional landscapes. Students will be encouraged to explore the various properties of these materials and their suitability for construction.
Through the design and construction of wood-stone hybrid structures at a mock-up scale, students will gain hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of the impact and potentials of using these materials in architectural practice.

Mock-ups experiments: hands - on
Mapping: analysis

Yves Ebnöther
Carla Ferrer
Thomas Hildebrand
David Jenny
Celina Martinez-Cañavate
Jay Thalmann
Alexander Walzer
and guests