Gardens, horizons and perspectives. A situated ecofeminist turn in Landscape and Architectural representation: the UA Campus as a case study

Abstract

Focusing on the University of Alicante (UA) Cam- pus and its graphic representations as a case study, this work explores how the tools offered by ecofeminism, situated knowledge and Irigaray’s critique on sensing space can add to Architecture in pursuit of a more sensitive and nuanced disciplinary representation of the landscape.
The UA Campus echoes American precedents and successfully deploys a curated sequence of blooming and inviting gardens reminiscent of English picturesque and French rational landscape design which coexist with the historical legacy of the site. The resulting landscape hosts a remarkable catalogue of plant species and serves a well- functioning and biodiverse ecosystem.
Shadowed by the growing presence of iconic buildings, the first efforts to represent, preserve and promote the gardens only came from the period between 2012 and 2020. In the context of a pressing climate emergency and framed by two global crises (the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020), a range of actions encouraged by the governance team led the UA Campus to a new era. The Campus made a conscious effort to become more inclusive and socially and environmentally sustainable.
This paper collects, situates and analyses the drawings and graphic materials produced over eight years (2012-2020). The images and the representations of the Campus are studied against the experience shaped by the landscape. The analysis is grounded in Puleo’s concept of enlightened eco- feminism, Donna Haraway’s situated knowledge and Irigaray’s feminist critique applied to architecture, which brings to light the limitations of architectural drawing to represent experiential spaces.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.20365/disegnarecon.35.2025.7