What if cooking during a trek became easier?

In the Winter Semester 2025/26, sixteen students explored the European larch (Larix decidua) as the starting point for a research-based design project rooted in the ecological, material, and cultural realities of our Alpine region. As a defining tree of the subalpine zone, the larch is remarkably well adapted to harsh mountain conditions and demonstrates significant resilience in the face of climate change. Our investigation focused on the tree’s unique qualities not only as a building material and a carrier of cultural identity, but also as a living organism embedded within complex ecological and (agri-)cultural systems. To develop a situated understanding, students conducted fieldwork in larch forests in Val Badia and visited the ancient larches (Ur-Lärchen) of Val d’Ultimo. These excursions enabled close engagement with forest ecologies, silvicultural practices, timber processing, and the historical use of larch wood in regional architecture and material culture.