Zürcher Ziegeleien AG

The residential building on Freihofstrasse, a compact, street-facing house with a rear garden, continues the urban character of the neighbourhood. The project pursued the idea of ‘simple building’. This applied to both the construction and the building process: the result is a brick-built house made of Porotherm blocks with plastered walls, without any building services or insulation boards. Although single-layer masonry is somewhat more expensive than a compact façade, it is virtually maintenance-free over the building’s lifetime; it behaves like the façades of older buildings, where plaster and paint are often over 50 years old. The Porotherm single-layer masonry is clad on the outside with a robust trowel-applied plaster and finished with a mineral-based paint.

The simple, compact floor plans offer high practical value. The heart of each flat is the lockable kitchen and dining area. Adjacent to this are the individual rooms, all of a similar size, resulting in versatile spaces suitable for a variety of tenant profiles. The flats possess a unique quality that oscillates between old and new construction. Their rooms and features are characterised by their own distinct character; they are sometimes light, sometimes shaded, and their windows and doors possess anthropomorphic qualities.

In keeping with the urban planning concept, the façade’s architecture is understated. Coloured plaster surfaces, which create a dynamic interplay with the sculptural pergolas made of prefabricated concrete elements, define the architectural expression. The aim was to achieve a distinctive character that also establishes a connection with the buildings in the immediate vicinity.