Adaptive Shoreline Design / June 2026

A DYNAMIC EDGE

Location

Maroggia Lakeshore, Lake Lugano, Switzerland

Typology

Adaptive Shoreline Design / Multi-species Habitat Design / Ecological Infrastructure Design

Target Users

Local residents / Visitors / Common pipistrelles / Cetti's warblers / Italian chubs / Lakeshore wildlife

Status

Academic Project / Concept

A Dynamic Edge rethinks the Maroggia lakeshore of Lake Lugano as a porous ecotone between water, land and infrastructure. The site is strongly fragmented by the A2 highway, railway and hard urban edges, which interrupt ecological continuity along the lake. Responding to this condition, the project softens the shoreline through a multi-species strategy based on mineral waste reuse. Porous stone structures, buffer pools, reed beds, elevated paths and habitat gradients support the Common pipistrelle, Cetti's warbler and Squalius squalus while guiding human access through controlled observation routes. The lake edge is transformed into a resilient shared landscape.

Cover
Transforming the lake edge into a resilient gradient between water and land.
Species Information
Three target species define the ecological logic of the shoreline.
Ecological and Urban Analysis
Ecological potential is mapped against urban and infrastructural fragmentation.
Critical Map
Habitat zones reveal where the lakeshore needs ecological stitching.
Edge Conditions
Rigid shoreline types are translated into softening opportunities.
Strategy Framework
Topography, water fluctuation and species needs shape three intervention zones.
Adaptive Modules
Mineral waste becomes a toolkit for porous ecological infrastructure.
Master Plan and Habitat Scenarios
The shoreline is reorganised as a continuous multi-species interface.
Southern Shoreline Extension
Adaptive edge typologies respond to settlement, river outlets and traffic corridors.
Zone A: Mara River Confluence
Buffer pools and mineral landforms slow water and support habitat complexity.
Zone B: Camping Edge
A layered lakeshore buffer separates recreation from wildlife habitats.
Zone C: Infrastructure Edge
A hard traffic boundary becomes a wetland-rich ecological transition.
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