A new housing development on the Hangenmoos site in Wädenswil replaces a predecessor from the 1960s. The elongated three-hectare plot lies adjacent to the historical town centre and is characterised by the orientation towards Zugerstrasse and the sloping terrain to the west.
With the free placement of the buildings in a park-like area, the dense residential development makes reference to the idea of the garden city. The arrangement of the buildings is defined by various factors: the terrain profile, the orientation of the apartments, the view of the lake, the neighbouring buildings and the busy road. Themes such as the continuous, differentiated outdoor space, staggering of volumes, framed and panoramic views determine the composition of the buildings.
Three residential typologies and different apartment contribute to the diversely mixed housing project, which is being realised in stages.
The area is separated from the busy Zugerstrasse by slim, staggered buildings. Here the staircases are arranged along the facade, the living and dining rooms are oriented on both sides, while bedrooms and balconies only face the quiet park.
Placed behind, on the rising hillside and along the quieter Holzmoosrütistrasse, are five to seven storey buildings. Their orientation is guided by the terrain and the view of the lake. These large and prominent structures form the backbone of the new development and have the highest density. Three to six apartments are grouped around an internal access core on each floor. The larger apartments are laid out around a corner or as dually oriented types, the smaller ones face the lake on one side. Despite their limited floor area, a variety of inside and outside views give the apartments depth and generosity. Together with the lower blocks on Zugerstrasse, the large building volumes form a differentiated green space with a network of pedestrian paths.
In the buildings of the third typology, four apartments are planned per floor. The two five-storey buildings are aligned parallel to the terrain’s contour lines and offset from one another. Their cross-shaped floor plan with an internal circulation core offers well-lit and spacious apartments with openings on three sides.
The arrangement and composition of the volumes create a complex of related building structures, which form a whole despite the varied conditions of the site. Multiple visual connections and views open up the outdoor spaces, helping to achieve the intended density with a site-specific scale.
