SWITZERLAND 2023
The School Forest Path
The project, commissioned by the City Council of Olivone in Val di Blenio, Switzerland, focuses on improving accessibility along a forest path by integrating natural and reclaimed materials, primarily for primary school children on their way to school and for hikers who regularly use the path.
In the lower section of the forest path, between the stair leading to the square and the main route, recycled stone sills from the old town hall serve as risers. At the entrance, a buried twin gate jamb is uncovered and repurposed as a stone bench seat, a gesture of “archaeological repurposing” that both restores the pendant to the standing vertical jamb and establishes a kind of threshold, marking the entrance to the path.
The handrail system rests on twin-rod supports embedded in snake-skin textured, lean-concrete bases. The metal handrail is manually bent and welded on site to follow the desired curve, with spare connection parts coming from the local blacksmith’s workshop.