Winzerhalde cooperative garden estate on the urban periphery of Zurich is based on a child-friendly concept. Thanks to underground car-parking spaces and access routes to each building the entire development is free of cars. The project won first prize in the competition and received an award for good buildings from the city of Zurich in 1985.

Gartensiedlung Winzerhalde, Zürich, Fischer Architekten AG Zürich

Five rows of buildings, staggered slightly in relation to each other with a mixed range of small and family apartments, as well as luxurious rooftop and maisonette apartments make up Winzerhalde cooperative garden housing estate in Zürich Höngg. The basic concept of the floor levels staggered by half a storey and the articulation of the facade with its various planes draw one’s attention.

Some of the spacious living rooms have an open fireplace, in most cases the dining area and kitchen are combined to form a single spatial unit. All the apartments have either a planted balcony, roof terrace, garden seating area or an individually usable garden.

Planted pedestrian lanes, large children’s playgrounds, residential courtyards, and front gardens create a family atmosphere. Shrubs and climbing plants on the roof terraces and in planters harmonise with the warm, earthy colours of the exposed masonry.