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