Studio Gugger | Nauenstrasse

Wohnhaus
A variety of apartments (multi-storey housing, two-storey studio apartments, shared-apartment clusters for communal living and guest rooms), along with communal outdoor spaces, create a lively residential community for 80-120 inhabitants. The proposed residential building, in concert with the neighbouring projects, will reclaim the Nauentrasse as an attractive central location for housing.

The building is accessible from the Nauenstrasse as well as from the courtyard. In the latter islands of ferns and grasses offer ecological stepping-stones, while maritime pines and maple trees create a pleasant inland climate.
Towards the city a front garden wraps around the building corner; hedges punctuate the streetscape and complete the urban block.

New construction vs. preservation
The question of preservation vs. new construction is central to the project. The 100-year-old structure is ill-suited to accommodate an overbuild extension responding to the site’s rezoning potential. Taking into account mandatory measures for sound and fireproofing, the envisaged residential use can only be realized with substantial structural interventions, process risks and compromises to long term flexibility. Ultimately, preservation was rejected after a thorough examination of the buildings’ life span, future potential and ease of dismantling.
Instead, a new building with a shallower depth transforms the existing backyard into a generous communal space.

Sustainable new construction
“Building sustainably means building with wood according to its material properties.” To obtain an economical and flexible construction a skeleton frame with a regular column grid and bracing components creates the basis for a large variety of layouts. Layered building components facilitate maintenance, conversion and recyclability. These strategies allow the building to react to changing needs and extend its lifespan. A high level of prefabrication guarantees quality and speed on site.