Prof. Markus Peter
Chair of Architecture and Construction
Spring Semester 2019, Sixth Bachelor Semester
The semester assignment consists a large, mixed-use building for living and working in the Letzi area, specifically in the vicinity of the VBZ central workshop and the UBS building on Flurstrasse. The design should balance the concept of an open building structure with the need for permanence, and should consider the current heterogeneity of the Letzi area, which is characterized by a mix of commercial, service, and residential buildings and a congested traffic network. The assignment also presents the opportunity to convert, add onto, or extend the existing commercial building in the area.
The intervention aims to retain the existing support structure and access core, while adding three storeys of residential units, including cluster flats, flats for large households, and studio flats. The design also focuses on the integration of old and new through the creation of an atrium that cuts into the existing building, bringing light to the commercial floors and breaking up the previously dark storage area. The design includes a spatial façade, or Brise Soleil, which serves as an access and recreation space for the commercial floors, an exterior space for the residential floors, and a support structure for photovoltaic panels. This façade consists of a supporting layer and a functional layer that varies in depth based on its intended use. It also includes prefabricated concrete slabs suspended in a steel frame and swords attached to steel supports for the PV panels. Overall, the design aims to give the existing building a new expression and unite old and new into a cohesive whole.
