How can the Feldis school be repurposed in a sustainable and socially engaged way?
This question was explored by 18 architecture students from ETH Zurich during the autumn semester of 2025. As part of a design studio organized by the chair of Professor Momoyo Kaijima, three Japanese architects were invited to teach Japanese design methods within a Swiss context. The aim was to foster an exchange between Swiss and Japanese building cultures — between the solid and resilient log constructions of the Alps and the light and sensitive timber-frame houses of the island nation. Despite their different appearances, both traditions rely on the same materials: wood, earth, and stone. Starting from these natural and sustainable materials, the students, working in groups of three, developed visions for a new future for the Feldis school.

To support their work, the students visited Feldis on September 23 and 24, where they studied the local conditions through large-scale axonometric drawings.

From October 20 to 24, they lived in the school building itself, testing their ideas directly on site. Together, they constructed a bread oven on the school grounds using local materials.

Finally, the students presented their project visions for the school site during the week of December 15 at the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich. The projects were exhibited for one week through plans, models, and visualizations. This booklet contains a summary of that exhibition.