Enhancing the Side Valleys of Ticino: The New Challenge for the Academy of Architecture

The Academy of Architecture at Università della Svizzera italiana will dedicate its upcoming diploma course to the theme of Ticino's side valleys. These areas represent a cultural heritage that has been largely overlooked in terms of architectural and urban planning studies. This initiative is led by Prof. Martino Pedrozzi, an Adjunct Professor at the Academy of Architecture.

As Professor Martino Pedrozzi recalled, the last three diploma courses at the Academy of Architecture have been dedicated to the urbanised valley floor: in 2008, the theme addressed, under the guidance of Aurelio Galfetti, the theme explored was Alptransit. In 2014, Michele Arnaboldi proposed a project that involved students and professors working on Città Ticino. Finally, in 2020, Muck Petzet introduced the theme of the cross-border territory between Chiasso and Ponte Chiasso.

However, the intention is to look skyward, putting the side valleys, territories characterised by a limited urban presence and the absence of rail connections, under the lens. The aim is to complete the work carried out during the last diploma courses, offering a complementary reading and exploring areas remaining on the margins of the architectural debate in Ticino.

Fifteen professors from the Academy will be involved in the project, with each professor assigned to a specific valley. They will be free to choose their methods and focus on particular aspects to explore. Potential themes for development include living in alpine environments, repurposing abandoned rural architecture, promoting sustainable mobility, and enhancing the historical and landscape heritage. Such a varied approach aims to show different points of view regarding life in the valleys, recounting their many facets and complexity while simultaneously revealing the link they maintain with the present. The selected valleys are as follows: Bedretto, Tremola, Blenio, Morabbia, Verzasca, Valle Maggia, Onsernone, Vira, Val d'Isone, Valle del Cassarate, Magliasina, Tresa, Mara, Gaggiolo and Valle di Muggio.

The students will then be able to choose which territory to work on, under the guidance of the Associate Professor, for the semester dedicated to the project. In this case, adopting different approaches, ranging from landscape analysis to detailed design, will also be possible. In this regard, one of the project's objectives is to establish partnerships with the valley communities, involving the local administrations in the debate on the future of the Ticino valleys.

The decision to concentrate on the valleys, which may appear to contradict the current trend toward urbanisation, is based on specific reasons. The side valleys of Ticino present unique design challenges for architects due to their distinctive characteristics. This makes them an ideal testing ground for rethinking the relationship between architecture, territory, and society.