The courage to build on gaps

As in the previous year, we are taking advantage of the media silence at the beginning of the year to present a small series of “forgotten” project successes of the past twelve months that we have not presented yet to a wider public. Small and large projects were completed, whose structural or facade planning was accompanied by our engineers and constructors with a lot of passion over several years.

Retrospective 2021.1: The small town of Regensberg is a popular destination for Zurich Sunday excursionists because of its panoramic location and idyllic medieval backdrops. Built between 1244 and 1248 by Baron Lütold V, it clearly bears the urban planning and architectural signature of his wife, Countess Berta of Neuchâtel, who designed the building ensemble of the upper castle on the oval ground plan in the typical architectural style of her native Savoy.

Giuliani Hönger Architekten, accompanied by the structural engineers from Lüchinger+Meyer, were entrusted with the challenging task of realising the replacement of a residential building in this sensitive, site-protected environment. The planning was based on the profile of the existing building, and the building envelope, which was designed as a self-supporting, insulated carpentry construction, also referred to the plastered timber-framed building customary in the area. The load-bearing structure of the multi-floor building was mostly constructed as a solid structure with a roof in timber construction. The three flats are accessed via concrete staircases and the split levels on each floor are connected. A reinforced concrete retaining wall was built in response to the steep slope of the terrain on the north side.

(Photos: David Willen)