Mathis & Kamplade Architekten

Description

The two cooperative, centrally arranged apartment houses on Kelchweg in Zurich are the result of a municipal competition held in 2019. The buildings are set within a green residential district near the heritage-listed local museum and the large-scale Altstetten indoor pool. The buildings are oriented to integrate the surrounding outdoor spaces while creating a dialogue through their rotation and staggered balconies. Constructed as timber skeletons with exposed columns, timber-concrete composite ceilings and ventilated wooden façades, the buildings are accented by red sculptural balconies. Ground-floor laundry rooms and communal entrances act as welcoming points of interaction. The floor plans follow a concentric logic: from the central staircase, entrances and bathrooms lead to a middle layer of living and sleeping spaces. Kitchens are placed at the outermost corners, opening onto balconies. Floor-to-ceiling doors transform them into generous terraces, reinforcing the kitchen as a key social space within the cooperative and the neighbourhood. Movable walls allow for different spatial layouts. Opened, they create loft-like spaces; closed, they divide rooms to accommodate changing needs. Large hinges and magnetic doors ensure simple handling. Compact yet adaptable, these homes support diverse, evolving lifestyles, featuring a typology with high resilience and sufficiency.