In the leafy residential neighbourhood overlooking Lake Zurich stands a four-storey workers’ house dating from the 1930s. The simple conversion reinterprets the existing structure – originally comprising three rooms per storey, a bathroom and little connection to the surrounding outdoor space – as a functional and open-plan home for a family of four. Whilst the external walls have been systematically freed of all technical installations, a new central spine in the heart of the building connects the storeys with all essential technical services and zones the spaces using built-in fixtures and furniture of all kinds. Simply by removing structural elements (such as the dilapidated ceilings in the old wet areas) and opening up existing walls, connections are created across the storeys and a distinct sequence of spaces is established on each floor.
The deliberate contrast between bare, white external walls and the complex, technically and tactilely sophisticated central core creates a sense of tension and spaciousness. This allows the former rooms on the ground floor to be connected laterally, running along the external walls, enabling the full scale of the house to be appreciated. On the first floor, the former bathroom has been removed, exposing the structure of the house. In the attic, the new central area serves the entire space, dividing it into the parents’ work and sleeping areas.
Direct commission
Building of the week, Swiss Architects
Published among others in Hochparterre "2022-03", Werk Bauen + Wohnen "Depth, 2022-03"
Architecture: Stefan Wülser + Mona Fögler + Ileana Crim
Civil engineer: Schnetzer Puskas
Building physics: Raumanzug
