Alte Landstrasse, Kloten

As the ground floor is elevated, the entrances to the buildings along Alte Landstrasse are spatially generous and form striking elements in the façade, even though the access area is quite compact. A green zone at the front enhances the street, helps to create an address, and establishes a certain distance for the new buildings. However, the core of the development is the garden at the rear with a play area that is clearly visible from the flats as well as other, more protected meeting points and seating areas. A community room with direct access to outside is also located here.

The floorplans of the two long, stepped buildings are based on a system of compact staircases that serve two apartments on each floor. The flats extend through the depth of the building. The set-backs in the facades create corners in which the private outdoor spaces are placed so that the apartments not only face the street and the communal garden but also relate to all four points of the compass. Room-high sliding doors and swing doors that can be fixed in position allow spaces to be added to the daytime areas or enable part of the living room to be separated to create an additional individual space. In apartments that are relatively compact this approach offers residents flexibility in how they use their flats, along with plenty of daylight and a sense of spaciousness. 

It is planned to erect the buildings using a hybrid timber-concrete construction method. A delicately structured facade made from pre-aged fir together with the clearly articulated volumes of the loggias, balconies and the rooftop storey modify the appearance of the new buildings. A projecting canopy roof and continuous cornices provide protection against the weather.