pool Architekten: Glattpark ABZ - best architects 21

pool Architekten

Glattpark ABZ

best architects 21

multi-family homes

Place

Opfikon, Switzerland

Photos

Michael Egloff

Description

The not-for-profit housing complex under development by the Allgemeine Baugenossenschaft Zürich ABZ is in a prestigious location close to the Opfikerpark with its artificial lake where it occupies one of the last big building plots in the Glattpark development area. The distinctive buildings create three clearly defined development areas and conform to the spatial qualities of the building plan. They are open on the ground floor and also accessible to the general public thanks to a dense network of paths and squares. Different types of apartments are available, depending on their location and the depth of the building. Worthy of a special mention are the apartments in the row of buildings along the garden courtyard, which open directly onto the outside space. The structure of the façades is determined by the rhythm of the balconies and stairwell towers while the special form of the basements and powerful fascias acknowledge the buildings’ connection to the town. The generous garden courtyard with playing fields, planted gardens and communal forecourts is the largest green space of all the outside areas. The central «Genossenschaftsplatz» provides access to the communal ground floor area and lends itself to meetings and housing estate events. The «Grüner Hof» in the south is used to access adjacent buildings and contains covered outdoor spaces for children. With its range of studio and commercial spaces, a kindergarten and crèche, the estate makes an important contribution to the provision of facilities in the neighbourhood.