Core77

Have worries about exchange rates and the high cost of fuel kept you from making plans for a summer vacation this year? Then think about a summer camp for designers!

From June- September, the Vitra Design Museum is offering 25 workshops at Domaine de Boisbuchet, a medieval country estate in Southwestern France. The workshops run one week or 10 days and are led by renowned designers, architects and artists, such as the Campana Brothers, Alexander Brodsky, Dinie Besems, Stephen Burks, Bruckner + Bruckner Architects, and Ico Migliore. Some workshops follow an open, experimental approach, with an emphasis on the design process, while others address concrete topics like the working of specific materials.

If international collaboration and total emersion aren't enough to re-charge your battery, the communal meals under the sky, swimming in the private lake, or mid-week mojito party will surely do the trick. The teachers are great, the staff warm and friendly, and the park-like grounds sublime!

Because Boisbuchet is situated in a country where "culture" means something, sponosorship from various government ministries enables Vitra to offer the same prices for the last 3 years. The cost for a one-week workshop including full board and materials comes to 645 Euros for students and apprentices. Other participants pay a fee of 845 Euros. A great deal like this is motivation enough to keep hunting for that cheap ticket.