The City and the Water

About

Since 2014, the International Summer School “The City and the Water” has been a full-time design workshop that explores the complex relationships between the built environment and water, in its broadest sense as an environmental resource, including the sea, rivers, lakes and water resources.

The 10-day Summer School is organised by the Department of Energy, Systems, Territory, and Constructions Engineering, and the Master’s Degree Course in Architecture and Building Engineering at the University of Pisa.

Participants, coming from all continents, will be involved in developing a project based on a case study, with the support of lecturers and tutors from the University of Pisa and visiting professors from other national and international schools of architecture, engineering and landscape design.

The title of the 2026 edition is “aqua limen”. The first part of the Summer School is mainly dedicated to critical reading and learning about the areas of study in order to identify their value and critical issues. During the remaining days, students will work on developing a project to enhance the area chosen as a case study. Throughout the period, lessons will be organised to provide theoretical and methodological support for the development of the projects. The ideas and designs developed during the Summer School will be presented in a public exhibition.

The Summer School will be activated with at least 12 students. The maximum number of participants is set to 30 students.

The Summer School will be held on campus, in Pisa, at Centro Congressi Le Benedettine, Piazza San Paolo a Ripa D’Arno, 16

Course leader

Prof. Giovanni Santi

Target group

The International Summer School is open to university students and PhD students of Architecture, Urban Planning, Design, Design Institutes, Landscape Design, Environment, and also to young professionals and artists from all EU and non-EU countries

Course aim

The Summer School aims to provide theoretical skills and methodological tools for knowledge of the built environment and the architectural design linked to water’s landscape.

Participants, organized in groups composed by members of different nationalities, will be asked to develop a project of enhancement for an area chosen as acase study. The internationality of the group of students is fundamental for promoting cultural exchange and comparison, also in terms of approach, between different experiences in the field of architectural design, landscape conservation and enhancement at an international level

Fee info