Neugut development site, Rickenbach

The proposal for the new development of this site groups seven apartment houses around two elongated courtyards, an existing eighth building is integrated in this layout. On the one hand the new apartment houses are aligned on this building and on Haus Wiesental, which is being replaced by a new building with a commercially used ground floor in the same location. On the other hand, the new development follows the roughly parallel layout of most of the buildings in the village.

The intensively used courtyards contrast with green spaces that extend into the development from the west, in this way interlocking the landscape and the developed area. The intelligent positioning of the underground garage ensures that there are no buildings beneath most of the green areas, benefitting both the vegetation and the water cycle. The approach to the garage, access for deliveries, and ground level parking for visitors are concentrated on the southern perimeter, where in front of the Wiesental building a public square opens towards the road. Apart from this the site is reserved for residents on foot or on bicycles. 

A wide range of different apartment types ensures a good social mix of residents. Most of the units are single-storey flats with classic, economically laid-out living spaces on one level. More spacious maisonette apartments, generally with direct access to a garden, are aimed primarily at families. 
Apart from the basements and the staircases the buildings are constructed in timber. The facades, which are appropriate to the location and sustainable in terms of energy and CO2 emissions, consist of an insulated timber frame with a back-ventilated timber cladding. They are primarily vertically articulated by means of paired uprights but differ according to building type and make the internal layout of the rooms legible from outside. This creates an appearance that is harmonious in terms of materials and is yet articulated in a subtly differentiated way, which animates the entire development.

Address
Hauptstrasse 1, 8545 Rickenbach, Switzerland
show on map
Client
Private
Task Development of Neugut site, primarily for residential use
Job type Study commission by invitation
Mention 1st prize
Deliverables Project, tender, implementation project
Time period 2025–
Visualisation