1/9 - 10/9/2026
7th International Workshop in Piacenza Campus
We are pleased to share with colleagues and to invite students to apply to the 7th edition of the Landscape Off Limits international workshop, to be held from September 1st to 10th, 2026, at the Politecnico di Milano, Piacenza Campus.
Following years of successful experimentation, the Workshop is the result of the strong interaction with the City of Piacenza and its local institutions, which have always been at the forefront of supporting this initiative. The program benefits from the patronage of IALSA and UNiscape and thrives through deep collaboration with local entities, most notably the Comune di Piacenza and the Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano.
This year's program
This year’s program is particularly rich, offering a unique opportunity to work alongside an extraordinary panel of internationally renowned team leaders and lecturers. The 2026 theme, “Borders. Porous Territories,” challenges the traditional view of boundaries as rigid lines. Instead, we interpret these sites as a dynamic, evolving field where ecological, social, and political systems intersect.
Participants will engage in a high-intensity “research-by-design” environment, guided by three distinct creative approaches:
Robin Winogrond (Studio Vulkan Landscape): Focuses on “Geographical Re-enchantment,” teaching students to translate personal interpretations of a site into powerful, atmospheric spatial experiences that go “under the skin”.
Duarte Santo (Cornell University): Explores landscape as a translocal construct, using critical mapping and sensorial inquiry to design for “more-than-human” agencies and global material flows.
Tiziano Schürch (EPFL/SUPSI): Adopts a multiscalar approach, using precise, minimal interventions to reveal the latent potential of public spaces and reconnect them with lived history.
Submission by 31st May 2026
The Program
Beyond the ateliers, the 10-day program is packed with cross-disciplinary lectures designed to expand your design perspective:
Artistic Practice: A hands-on session with artist Bas Ketalaars on the translation of perception into form.
Landscape Theory: Deep dives into “Care of Infrastructure” with landscape architect Martí Franch Philosophy: “Borders in Ruin” with philosopher Giovanbattista Tusa
Acoustic Ecology: Exploring soundscapes as a design layer with Usue Ruiz Arana. The workshop concludes with an Exhibition Opening and a Final Award.
Speakers: Robin Winogrond, Studio Vulkan Landscape; Duarte Santo, Cornell University; Tiziano Schürch, EPFL/SUPSI.
Coordinators: Matteo Poli, Giulia Cazzaniga
Contacts: lol@polimi.it, matteo.poli@polimi.it