The existing housing development Brunnenhof, owned by the ‘Stiftung Familienwohnungen’, was designed by Gigon/Guyer in a competition in 2003 and completed in 2007. In response to the high demand for affordable family apartments, the development is extended to the south with a 40-meter-high building. Compared to the earlier buildings, the added apartments are arranged in a more compact way, with less space required per occupant. The new building meets the tight cost criteria of the municipal subsidy for low-cost housing.
Located directly on Bucheggplatz, the plot is flanked by Hofwiesentrasse to the south and west. To the east it adjoins the park with the Buchegg neighborhood center, and to the north the existing Brunnenhof development. The slender, 13-storey volume forms a termination for the lower slab buildings of the Brunnenhof-/Hofwiesenstrasse development as well as a prominent head-end building on Bucheggplatz. The extension continues the concept of the multi-angled existing blocks. It connects directly to the long, narrow building along Hofwiesenstrasse, angles eastwards to the park and creates a generous forecourt through an offset away from the street. A long projecting roof marks the two entrances. Together with the forecourt, this emphasizes the role of the western side as the main urban façade. To the south, the park with its large trees extends all the way to Bucheggplatz, creating an ample new approach.
On the ground floor, a lofty space for public use is oriented towards Bucheggplatz. The entrance hall on Hofwiesenstrasse provides access to the upper floors, to the community rooms and, via a multifunctional room, to the park. This creates an immediate link between the street space and the green area. The community rooms can be joined together by means of a mobile partition wall and face both the street and the park, where a tranquil outdoor area steps down towards the existing buildings. The multifunctional room and the community rooms can be connected for events and festivities.
The first and second floors accommodate office spaces. Above, the typical floors contain twenty 5.5-room apartments for large families, two on each level. All bedrooms face the quiet park. The eat-in kitchens extend along Hofwiesenstrasse between the entrance zones with wardrobes and the living rooms with corner loggias overlooking the park. Centrally placed bathrooms allow for a circulation loop, lending the apartments spaciousness. The balcony on the park side runs the entire length of the building, expanding the bedrooms on the outside and connecting them to the two corner loggias.
The design principles of the existing façades are continued in the extension: horizontal concrete strips, wood/metal windows with parapets and railings, colored glass cladding on the south, west and north façades, sliding panels of colored transparent and translucent glass as well as metal picket railings on the eastern balcony layer. The color concept for the new building is based on Adrian Schiess' continued elaboration.
