2020, Universal Access to Protected Landscapes, Urban Design
ECAL (Lausanne, Switzerland)
Project
In 2005, French law mandated universal accessibility in all public spaces by 2015, yet sensitive natural areas remained exempt.
Today, protected seashores, forests, and wetlands remain largely inaccessible to people with reduced mobility, older adults, and families.
This project reimagines access to natural protected areas. Originally developed for coastal environments, the system adapts to any sensitive landscape in need of preservation: seashores, forests, steep trails, wetlands. It enables year-round universal access while actively protecting fragile ecosystems.
Development
I collaborated with municipalities and seashore associations to understand the specific environmental and regulatory constraints of each site. I designed a flexible system adaptable to different locations, balancing accessibility with conservation.
After testing with cardboard and plastic models, I built a full-scale prototype and installed it at
Lake Léman to evaluate its performance in real conditions.
Skills
Sketching, Context Study, InDesign, Photoshop, Rhino 3D, Communication, Technical Drawings, Prototyping, Video, Rendering, Wood Making
Credits
Project direction : ECAL
Design support : Maddalena Casadei, Christan Spiess
Photo credits : Justine Willa (final prototype)
CAD Images : Alix Doussot