Werkgasse Meienegg Bümpliz, BE
The project effortlessly embeds itself into the surrounding streets and public spaces of the existing building and deliberately ties itself in on all sides. The public realm extends into the depths of the site and contextually soaks up the granularity and density of the surroundings. An urban district with living, leisure and work is created. The building along Bethlehemstrasse, together with Langobardenplatz and the tram stop, forms a prelude to the estate and strengthens the impression on arrival. The small flats for pensioners and students are accessed via arcades with communal balconies. From the Werkgasse as the main access, the neighborhood develops depth through staggered two- to three-storey buildings in an east-west direction. Between these alternated rows, various vegetative outdoor spaces are created, allowing for a wide range of family apartments on the ground floor. The project, with its nine individualized buildings, generates a small-scale identity per house and courtyard and combines them into an overarching neighborhood unity.