Architects:Itten+Brechbühl

Area :2150 m²

Year :2020

Photographs :Yohan Zerdoun

Manufacturers :  Eternit, Durrer Systems, HKG Engineering AG, Roser AGEternit

Landscape Architect :BRYUM GmbH

Civil Engineer :Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure AG

General Contractor :Implenia AG

Head Of Design : Daniel Blum

Project Manager : Sebastian Winkler

Structual Draftswoman : Yvonne Ganzoni

Project Architect : Armin Schärer

Junior Architect : Yasmin Jaeg

Client : Musfeld AG

City : Basel

Country : Switzerland

The place is an old work yard, typical for Basel and the quarter. It is one of the few city blocks that has never been completely closed by buildings in the course of its history. This encouraged us to let the building, as it were, peep out of the courtyard. In addition, the client has a quite personal relation to the site, as he started his professional career in that very place.

In this respect, personal relationships with the location, memories of the history of use, and a typological peculiarity come together as influencing factors for the creation of this building.

The proximity to the surrounding buildings also plays a role. We were looking for an expression that works from a close-up perspective, as well as from a side view: You move along the building and see it up close. The building never appears in a conventional elevation, as it is usually drawn. The building is consistently designed as a house in the courtyard.

Shape, materialization, and construction are translations of the simple utility buildings traditionally to be found in Basel courtyards. The shape adapts to the shape of the courtyard and the materials are simple and robust. Slight alienation and ennoblement of the elements speak of the changed use of the courtyard and building as a place of residence. The raw corrugated cement fibre board is varnished in color, the stakes of the railings are given a special shape and the columns in the living rooms are given a specific shape for each apartment - someone has accordingly dubbed them "roommates".

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