Garden project

On the ETH Hönggerberg campus, Professor Tom Emerson leases a plot where students build a new project each year. The only rule: Nothing may be removed—only new structures or plants can be added. The goal is to respect existing elements and encourage long-term thinking. Wood weathers, bricks crumble, plants grow—each transformation shapes the design.

The challenge: recreate Le Corbusier’s roof garden for Charles de Beistegui (Paris, 1929) using only available resources. After a one-day competition, the winning design was built in just two weeks.

Around 60 students led the project, handling planning, coordination, and construction—turning our vision into reality.