The property was home for the family from the 1940s. The client came into possession of the property through inheritance. The existing single-family house had been uninhabited and dilapidated for years.
Due to her emotional attachment to the location, it was clear to the client from the outset that she wanted a new building of high architectural quality that would integrate well into the neighborhood and offer attractive outdoor spaces.
Situation
Not far from the idyllic village center of Sissach, the new apartment building with four apartments is situated in a privileged location in the middle of a residential neighborhood. The property is located on a gently sloping site near the Ergolz river. To the south, the view opens up to the wooded hills of the Ergolz valley.
Taking advantage of this unique location, the new building extends into the depths of the property, benefiting from ideal sunlight throughout the day. In a neighborhood of single-family and multi-family homes, the new building matches the scale and character of the surrounding structures. The property is directly accessible via the low-traffic Bützenenweg.
Architecture
The distinctive exposed concrete base forms a deliberate break between the garden and the wood-clad upper floors and attic above. It lifts the structure upwards, which is topped off with a delicate roof construction.
The airy ground floor serves as the address and is divided into two zones. The driveway, parking, and building entrance are located on the east side. The gardens of the two garden maisonette apartments are located on the west side. The differentiated architecture, which responds to the respective uses of each floor, structures the building and naturally integrates it with the existing surrounding buildings.
The apartment building consists of three residential floors, a gallery, and a basement. All four apartments extend over several floors, creating exciting and differentiated spatial experiences.
The 4½-room garden maisonette apartments each have separate, direct access to the house. On the ground floor, the living, dining, and kitchen areas open up to the garden with floor-to-ceiling windows, blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors. The protrusions and recesses of the façade create exciting spatial relationships and outdoor seating areas that can be used in different ways. An internal staircase leads to the upper floor, where the bedrooms are located, or to the basement with its cellar rooms and a multipurpose room lit by a light well.
The 3½-room attic apartments are accessed via a central staircase. The varied rooms in the attic play with the different roof shapes and room heights. Rooms with sloping ceilings, rooms with dormer windows, and two-story living rooms with a recessed gallery floor make the attic apartment a spatial experience. Two roof cutouts as loggias bring light into the depths of the apartments and form the private outdoor space of the attic apartments.
Materialization and construction
The neighborhood is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity and diversity in the existing buildings. Different materials, mainly plaster and wood facades, alternate. High-quality facade materials reflect the architectural approach taken in this project.
The building is constructed as a solid structure with a rear-ventilated wooden facade. On the ground floor, exposed concrete walls divide the exterior spaces. Standing on the concrete ceiling, the facade of the upper floors with its green wooden cladding is unobtrusive and blends naturally into the existing structure. The wooden windows and burgundy-red textile sun protection complete the facade materialization and form an exciting contrast to the concrete and wood facade. The filigree gable roof made of corrugated eternit panels provides space for the PV system with its ideal east/west orientation.
Surroundings
The east-facing forecourt, which provides access to the building, parking, and waste disposal, is designed as a continuous area with permeable concrete paving stones. This surface meets all the requirements for this area (permeable, accessible to vehicles, wheelchair accessible, etc.). The same paving will be used on the west side to create seating areas and paths for the garden maisonette apartments. This paving will be complemented by two garden seating areas with gravel surfacing.
The boundaries with the neighbors will be framed by a green belt planted with shrubs and flower meadows. Individual trees provide shade and complete this planting concept. All areas will be designed to be as natural as possible. Sealed hard surfaces have been deliberately avoided.
