Running Water: Following the Flow in the Italian Alps
MDEF Research Trip 2025
Each year, the Master in Design for Emergent Futures (MDEF) program by Fab Lab Barcelona – IAAC and ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, organizes an immersive research trip to explore design from a new environmental and socio-cultural perspective. These trips offer students the opportunity to engage deeply with a specific territory, working hands-on with local communities, ecologies, and materials. This year’s journey, titled Running Water, took us into the heart of the Italian Alps to follow the path of water—both literally and metaphorically.
From April 6 to April 12, MDEF students, faculty, and collaborators traversed Val Camonica, a unique alpine valley that connects the Presena Glacier, at over 3,000 meters above sea level, with Lake Iseo, through the course of the Oglio River. The workshop was led by Saul Baeza, MDEF co-director, and structured around two interwoven research narratives:
- Archives & Data Collection – Exploring methodologies for sensing, mapping, and archiving water systems and ecosystems.
- Water(-related) Artifacts – Designing speculative and functional devices that engage with water as a material and cultural actor.
The first four days were based in Casa del Parco Adamello, nestled in the mountains, offering students access to glacier edges and alpine water sources. Here, students worked on field-based research, collecting data and materials and interacting with the pristine alpine environment. The final two days took place in Locanda Sensole, on the picturesque Monte Isola island in Lake Iseo, where the group reflected on their journey and synthesized their learnings.
Guiding us throughout the journey were Sergio Maggioni and Filippo Rosati, who introduced us to their project Un Suono in Estinzione, an immersive sound archive of the Presena Glacier projected to disappear by 2080. Listening to the glacier’s voice in surround sound was a deeply emotional experience—a sensory reminder of the urgency of environmental action.
We also had the privilege of meeting Italo Bigoli, a local guide from the collective Amici della Natura. Italo shared his deep knowledge of Val Camonica’s natural and ancestral heritage, including its UNESCO World Heritage rock art. He spoke of his collaborations with Native American communities, and played the Corno delle Alpi (Alpine horn) in a powerful moment of resonance and reverence.
One of the most memorable evenings took place in a consecrated church near Casa del Parco, where a spontaneous jam unfolded: Italo performed with his horn, one student responded with live music inspired by the walk along the Oglio River, and another projected real-time data visualizations on the vaulted ceiling—collected with sensors during that very journey.
The trip culminated in an open-air final presentation of the students’ work, showcased in three stages around Monte Isola: from the terrace of Locanda Sensole, to the pebbled shoreline nearby, and finally to the Silent Beach, where the sun set on a week of exploration, collaboration, and discovery.
Throughout the trip, students shared their reflections and insights as they engaged with the environment, local communities, and their design process. Here are some of their thoughts:
“Working at 3000 meters and sleeping next to glaciers made water feel alive, fragile, and louder than ever.”
“The entire trip felt like a moving classroom. I learned more by walking, sensing, and making than I could have imagined.”
“Following the river downstream helped us understand time differently – from glacial memory to everyday life in lakeside towns.”
“Each stop along the journey became a prompt — the melting glacier, the rushing river, the stillness of the lake — inviting us to listen and respond through design.”
“There’s something humbling about designing next to forces as powerful and ancient as water. It changes how you think about your role as a designer.”
MDEF Students 2024-25The Running Water research trip exemplified MDEF’s commitment to place-based design and immersive learning. It’s not just a field trip—it’s a field of transformation.
