This project explores the disturbed landscapes of the Upper Rhine Plain through the lens of vital milieus. For centuries, communities lived with the river’s shifting rhythms, but the straightening of the Rhine in 1817 radically transformed this relationship. The meanders were first redrawn on engineering plans, then reshaped into a controlled waterway— triggering environmental upheaval and opening the region to intensified exploitation. Today, in the midst of climate and ecological crises, the Rhine’s dynamic presence demands renewed attention. This work revisits the river’s disturbed landscapes—former meanders, flood polders, dams, and flooded gravel pits—beyond the usual stories of engineering triumph or environmental loss. By following three species historically tied to the river—the floodwater mosquito, the sand martin, and the Atlantic salmon—the project traces the interdependencies that sustain this regulated landscape. By tuning into more-than-human temporalities and rhythms, it reveals design and maintenance practices that emerge as forms of gardening at a planetary scale—offering ways of engaging with dynamic environments that matter for architecture and landscape design under ongoing planetary crises.

Supervised by Prof. Teresa Gali-Izard; co-supervised by: Prof. Dr. Philip Ursprung, Prof. Dr. Sandra Jasper.