Avellana Housing Complex

The Avellana housing complex is located in the core area of Schwamendingen, where contiguous, rural structures have survived intact to this day. The project perimeter encompasses a defunct farmstead with a farmhouse and barn combined under one roof. The lion’s share of the property was unbuilt and had been used as a garden. This garden was at the rear, tucked away in a second tier hidden behind old building structures facing the street.
In its massing and in its architectural expression, the project takes the garden as its substantive starting point. The design of the building also addresses the two different sides of the space along the brook and the space along the garden, evoking associations with structures that have grown spontaneously. The new building is constructed and clad entirely in wood.
The floor plans of the apartments share a common structure, but each has a different configuration. The form-giving follows a situationally determined spatial concept that adheres to an open and informal character.

Project competition in 2010, 1. prize

Construction
2010–2012