to dwell III


The project site is located on the northern edge of the municipality

ofBassersdorf in the Zürich lowlands. The area is defined by

agricultural and wooded zones to the north and relatively recent

urban development to the south. Along the gradient from north to

south, there is a transition from loose development lined by

orchards to a dense and more regular settlement structure.

The building plot itself, located right on the threshold of both

structures, is reminiscent of a time before parcelling became

common due to its diverse tree population.

This characteristic situation should be appreciated and taken into

account in the project.

In order to maintain the current quality, all the trees on the plot are

to be preserved, so that nature is not only integrated but also

inevitably determines the design.

Following the removal of the existing buildings, a house is to be

built here in accordance with the existing conditions.


As with the 'Plywood House' by Herzog & de Meuron, the motif of

folding along the trees is taken up on the longitudinal façades.

Following the slope, a split-level volume is defined that utilises the

existing topographical conditions by building a generous but

compact volume.

The design always endeavours to create a relationship with the

surrounding nature. To this end, fenêtre en longueur (long windows

according to Le Corbusier) are proposed on the east and west

façades, which blur the boundaries between inside and outside and

create a continuous connection to nature.

The north and south façades function as 'masks' with openings that

frame certain moments of the outdoor space, like a painting on the

wall in a museum.

These same façades, with their opaque character, serve as a

backdrop for the future vertical vegetation, which is guided by thin

steel cables and is intended to recall Klimt's impressionist

landscapes in all their splendour.







location: Zürich, Switzerland


year: 2023


programme: housing


status: competition


surface : 1’015m2


client: Kirchgemeinde Breite


with: MMMR Architekten