wild bär heule Architekten

Description

The apartment house in Uetikon am See stands out. Although its proportions, number of storeys and square floor plan blend it in with its environment, the staggered balconies as key design element immediately catch the eye. They further accentuate the similarly cantilevered balconies of the neighbouring buildings. The intriguing look of the house is further emphasised by the play of shadows across the corrugated aluminium façade. Making a virtue out of necessity given limited available space, cost pressure and the simultaneous desire for a high utilisation of the building volume, overhanging balconies were used here instead of loggias. The 2.5-metre-deep projections do not count as part of the building mass because the double-height areas created by their offsets are open to the elements. At the same time, the living spaces can receive a great deal of daylight despite the rather small windows. The alternation of the overhangs is repeated by the internal organisation of the building. The symmetrical arrangement of staircase and lift as well as wet rooms around a central point allows for floor plans to be mirrored on each floor without any modifications of the installations. Each storey has three apartments with 2.5 to 4.5 rooms, each oriented in two directions. The balconies greatly enhance the quality of life, as each apartment has two private outdoor spaces facing in different directions. These generous »fresh-air rooms« can be shaded through integrated sunshades.