Baumberger & Stegmeier

Description

Witikon, a former farming village that belongs to Zurich, developed into a late-modern urban district during the 1950s and 1960s. «Modern» forms of housing with a strong connection to the landscape still shape its identity today. Volumetrically, the project is designed to follow the contours of the terrain, forming a tiered roofscape. Despite the consolidation on the site, the open development pattern of the verdant neighbourhood with its generous green areas is preserved. The apartments interpret the «hall type», which ties into the late modern context and also continues the tradition of rural living. Via an entry foyer, one enters the central living hall, whose lateral extensions and oblique walls establish an open centre. Rooms arranged at an oblique angle extend the hall and yield generous diagonal views. The floor plan typology, with its functionally neutral spaces and sub-divisible living/dining area, increases the flexibility of use and can be inhabited as a 4.5 or 5.5-room apartment. The outward appearance of the new buildings alludes to the built and natural context, but at the same time forms its own identity. The building is given a «soft» cladding of stained wood, which reinforces the concept of relating to the landscape. A fine network of natural anodized aluminium sills and wood/metal windows extends across the buildings, enhancing the expression of a contemporary home.