Fünf Häuser
Fünf Häuser can be seen as a collage of a selection of typical housing types found in the immediate surroundings of the plot. The types are stacked vertically due to the small footprint of the plot, with each type presenting a different typology vis-à-vis its outside spaces and views, according to the level at which it is situated.
Could the Fünf Häuser be seen as an assembly of Helvetic typologies? It would seem that the play of scales within the project, through the use of oversized window frames, excess of balconies and the generous plantations, dares a hint of irony towards the plethora of "typical" typologies. However, by stacking each of these types, one on top of the other, the result offers a rather surprising take on the rather challenging task of building a multi story residential typology and offers an alternative to the ever-expanding Swiss suburban sprawl. By considering the suburb as a new laboratory for experimental typologies, Fünf Häuser is an invitation for more density, social interaction and architectural diversity - more urban quality in the semi-urban.
images:
Giuseppe Micciché (for Architekturpreis Beton 13, Betonsuisse)
Tonatiuh Ambrosetti
Walter Mair