COMMUNAL TABLES IN ZURICH'S HIDDEN VALLEYFrancisca Cortés and Nida Karisik

Leimbach is a hidden valley just south of Zurich, nestled between two hills and shaped by a quiet interplay of rural, ecological and urban elements. Despite pressures from urbanisation and demographic changes, the valley retains ecological traces and agricultural rhythms–anchored by its last active farm, Leimbihof. This project reimagines Leimbach as a shared landscape through a proposal where the agroecological principles of seasonality, care and coexistence guide the future of urban-rural integration.

Rather than opening the farm to intensive public use, the strategy proposes a seasonal pathway along the valley’s edges. This path reactivates the historical ecological traces of wetlands, vineyards and forest edges, creates biodiversity protection zones and terraces and offers quiet, low-impact spaces for walking, gathering, producing and reflection. A key aim of the strategy is to foster collaboration between Leimbihof and Rishof, enabling both farms to share responsibilities in maintaining biodiversity corridors and extending agroecological values across the valley.

In a fragmented landscape of quiet meadows and dense housing, the communal table creates peaceful zones that support ecological connectivity and public life. It proposes a slow cross-pollination of urban and rural values: the quietness of the meadow shaping urban space, and the social energy of the city supporting ecological care, redefining how people, animals and landscapes can coexist.