What will the Grande Dixence region look like 200 years from now?

Master's project - An EPFL architecture student explored what the area around the Grande Dixence dam in Valais Canton might look like in 2223, drawing on scientific data to shed light on the long-term implications of environmental change. For her Master's project, Sarah Planchamp - who recently graduated from EPFL - mapped out a possible future for the area around the Grande Dixence dam, a site that's close to the heart of the people of Valais Canton. She drew on alternative and emerging practices, such as collective thinking and participatory workshops organized by citizens and academic institutions, to imagine what life might be like 100 years from now and beyond. "IPCC reports aren't always easy to follow, and their predictions don't look past 2100," says Planchamp, who is from Valais. "Some of the infrastructure we have today will still exist beyond that date. I wanted to look further into the future - to broaden our thinking by drawing on both current scientific data and the power of imagination. There's a common saying among local people that if the dam breaks, we'll all be under water.