The neighborhood is characterized by a dissolved development structure and by free-standing individual buildings of different granulation as well as green open spaces.
The new replacement building fits into this context and takes the existing circumstances into account. It is an apartment building with seven apartments, a small commercial space at street level and a parking garage at the rear of the lot.
The new building replaces an apartment building from the 1930s and fits naturally into the built context in terms of grain and volume. Despite the increased living space, the volume of the new building appears restrained in the greened urban body and completes the rhythmic building structure along Limmattalstrasse. The appearance of the building dimensions is broken up by the bending of the end facades. The building proportions hereby mediate to the surrounding properties.
The choice of a pitched roof for the new building follows the same intention and conveys respectfully to the context.
Great attention is paid to the topographical embedding, which ensures a natural course of the surroundings. The point construction allows qualitative and flowing green spaces, which respect the typical local conditions. Another focus point is the sustainable concept of the building with its technical installations. The building stands for a reduced energy consumption using thermal heating and electricity production on the roof, that is realized in opaque panels that ovoid a reflection to the surrounding as well as back into the sky.
The architectural expression of the new building, arises through a simple and homogeneous language of form. The facades seek a clarified and calm appearance. All six sides are treated in the same way with differing openings depending on its exposure. Small deviations in the rhythm of the vertical pilaster strips and the format sizes refine the uniformly aligned facades. The inclined wooden panels between the vertical wooden pilaster result in varying shadow effect and light reflection, which makes lively appearance to the volume. The proportion of windows varies across the facades. The loggias seek the southern exposure and embed themselves unobtrusively into the geometry of the structure. Cantilevered components such as balconies and oriels are avoided.
The extensive roof surfaces follow the design intention of the facades: A clear, homogeneous and less fragmented appearance even though it is of photovoltaic and fiber cement panels. Two pinnacles facing south are inscribed in the roof surfaces analogous to the loggias.
The new building appears homogeneous, calm and elegant in the neighborhood.