The Lötschental as a place of learning

On this September day in the hamlet of Weissenried, attention is focused on a very concrete task: cleaning historic façades. Here too, the landslide has left its mark, dust and dirt having accumulated on the centuries-old buildings. Under the expert guidance of wood restorer Peter Egloff, employees from BFH-AHB are cleaning the façades by hand.

This work is part of a broader engagement in support of Weissenried. The Blatten Foundation, Peter Egloff’s specialised company, Bern University of Applied Sciences and the Federal Office of Culture are committed to preserving the architectural heritage and making a concrete contribution to addressing the consequences of the landslide.

A new reality in the real-world laboratory

The Lötschental was already a real-world laboratory for BFH before the natural disaster. During BFH-AHB’s 2022 and 2023 Special Weeks and a 2024 summer school, students had the opportunity to explore the landscape and living environment through an interdisciplinary lens. In the valley, they investigated complex spatial issues directly on site, bringing together different disciplinary perspectives.

On 28 May 2025, their work took on a whole new sense of urgency. The landslide wiped out large parts of Blatten, profoundly altering the lives of its residents.

What role can a university play in the aftermath of a disaster?

Shortly after the landslide, experts from various disciplines came together to lay the groundwork and explore prospects for the future development of the Lötschental. The focus was not on finding a quick solution, but on understanding the issues at hand and identifying the next steps.

Later, Urs Heimberg summed up this approach in his farewell lecture: look at the big picture, work with the population to develop prospects for the future and use that to gradually derive concrete solutions for reconstruction. A landslide on the scale of the one in Blatten requires an ongoing participatory process in which the local community can come to terms with the demands placed on the new village. Accordingly, a ‘learning’ project organisation must be chosen, one that makes it possible to continuously incorporate new insights and needs and integrate them into further planning.

Between preservation and reinvention

The landslide has profoundly changed the Lötschental, also as a real-world laboratory. Climate change, natural hazards, urban development, landscape and social participation are no longer abstract terms, but part of the reality of life. How can safety and quality of life be combined? What should be preserved and what needs to be rethought? And who is responsible for making such decisions?

Questions like these are also at the heart of BFH’s teaching and research. Expertise in natural hazards, spatial planning, Baukultur, wood and landscape helps us better understand risks and identify possible courses of action. The key is to combine this knowledge with the experiences and needs of the local community.

A special farewell

On the day of the mission in Weissenried, Urs Heimberg gave his farewell lecture. After many years at BFH, during which he helped shape teaching and development as a lecturer and in various management roles, he reflected on 35 years of transformation processes in teaching and practice. Many themes addressed in his work came together that day: spatial transformation, participation, Alpine Baukultur, climate change and the responsibility of planners and higher education institutions.

For the next generation of professionals, he summarised his message in three key demands: forward-thinking engineers and architects adopt a democratic approach, allow future generations as much freedom of design creative freedom as possible, and always keep simplicity and appropriateness in mind.

Reflecting this approach, the day began not in a lecture hall but with brushes, water and meticulous work on historic façades. BFH’s involvement in the Lötschental valley demonstrates that a higher education institution does more than provide knowledge: it listens, learns alongside others and lends a hand wherever its contribution is needed.