15: Use your travels for inspiration

Carnival within the riverbed in Valencia

We got our program for our final project in Altea. Our studio was split up into four groups at the beginning to document to Mercadillo. Alex and Pacia used the same groups to assign us four different programs: Water, Fire, Air, and Earth. My group was assigned the Earth program, which consists of a Center for Coastal Dune, River, and Tide Studies; a traditional shoe factory; a community olive oil press and exchange; and an Ecological Hotel. That's a complex program to manage for a summer studio!

Alex gave us some good advice as we were traveling to Valencia. Why not look around us for inspiration? How can we use our travels for our benefit? What strategies have been used before that can be implemented in our own designs?

One of the interesting things about Valencia is its nearby river. The water from the river has mostly been diverted so that no more water flows in the riverbed. However, the designers planned it such that they allowed enough water to still flow underground so that plants would still grow. So a park now sits in the riverbed and the plants never need to be watered because the water table is high enough that the plants can get all the water they need.

Very inspiring--that the river, which was once a life force in Valencia, is still a life force but more behind the scenes, and the riverbed has become a site for public use. Much to think about in the coming weeks for my final project.