The Seven Families of Formentera
This pedagogical activity, developed by CRAterre, is based on the famous card game The Seven Families, in which each family represents a prototypical culture in the world (Tyrolean, Chinese, Arab, Bantu, etc.) and is made up of six members of the same family (grandfather, grandmother, mother, father, son and daughter). The educational game is created by making a parallelism between the cultural families and the landscape units of Formentera, each of them characterised by a vernacular architecture. Each family is integrated by six approximation scales: from the landscape unit to one of its plots, from a vernacular architecture to one of its construction elements, and from one of the materials used in the element to the source of this material, which takes us back to the natural landscape of the island.
To build this game, no huge or expensive elements are required. Instead, it is essential to start with a complete documentation of the heritage to be presented. Once this information is processed and simplified, the logic of the game is accessible to all kinds of audiences. It was used for the first time at the VerSus Festival of Formentera in 2023, where it could be played by all kinds of people, although many of them had never heard of this game before.
More than having an enjoyable time or learning about the Island heritage, the final objective of this game is to help understand the inseparable bond that exists between vernacular architecture and its environment, the deep link between nature and culture. It is a fun way for everyone to understand the 7 ideas and ethics needed to build a sustainable future.