Ziegelhöfen

Location: Neubad, Basel, Switzerland

Type of client: Private

Year: 2018 - 2023

Floor area: 300 m²

Building volume: 880 m³

We know that we are facing an architectural challenge when we find a neighborhood with more than 30 underutilized plots.

The real estate market is an obstacle for the Neubad neighborhood of Basel in the process of urban densification and housing upgrading. Therefore, we propose a project in which we are architect, owner and investor, developing a typology of two-family and multigenerational housing that allows sales prices adapted to the market, the user and the neighborhood.

The proposed building is divided in two residential units of approximately 100 m² of usable area each: one unit has access to the garden, the other unit, to the terraces. To maintain privacy, each unit has its own entrance, basement, and stairs, and the common areas are kept to an absolute minimum. A small elevator makes the house very comfortable, especially for the elderly and families with children.

The different configurations that the apartments can adopt allow them to be adapted to the ever-changing needs of families with a few simple tweaks. The number of bedrooms can be fitted to the number of people living in the house or to the needs of potential buyers. The rooms in the basement, on the first floor and the attic are particularly well suited for quick changes of use.