DGJ Paysages sàrl

Architects Meier Leder from Baden and Müller Sigrist form Zürich have won a competition with with DGJ Architects & Landscapes for communal housing at Brisgi in Baden. In the design team DGJ acted as a landscape architecture consultant to the joint venture. All the design offices have rich experience with design for cooperation housing and communal gardens respectively, which they could successfully apply to this new task. The site for almost 160 new apartments is located at the River Limmat, 20km downstream form Zürich.

During Spring 2016 the public foundation ‘Wohnbaustiftung Baden’ launched a project competition for Housing at Brisgi. The proposals handed in by ten selected planning teams where assessed and judged in a public jury in September. Interested parties where invited to follow the jury meetings in Baden. Wohnbaustiftung Baden say they have high demands for the planned housing complex - while taking into account various interets. “First of all: the specific character of the Neighbourhood should be enforced. The ‘new’ should accomplish the existing, enrich it without competing.

Wohnbaustiftung Baden wants a site specific high value housing estate. Demanded where concepts and ideas that would engage a wide range of potential renters and allow most varied forms of living. Smaller homes for single and retired people as well as offerings for shared apartments should enlarge the main focus on families with children while being responsive to demand and friendly to renters.”

The project is based on design principles that convinced the jury, as they write in there report: “The buildings articulate the slope from the upper street Brisgistrasse down to river plain in three terraced steps. This spatially connects the Kappeler Neighbourhood down to the River Limmat. In between the buildings this creates meeting places and resting zones that create space for communal living. All apartments are full of sunlight and oriented to several sides. A varied offering of apartments with differentiated qualities allows to live different lifestyles in direct neighbourhood.”

“The project brings together urban space with social and technical aspects into one context. It convinces with a statement for common living that is worked our carefully and promises a better appreciation for all of the Brisgi area.”