Hädrich Park, Zurich

The Hädrich Park housing development in Zurich Albisrieden was created at a transitional area, between the present-day residential district and the industrial zone. The character of the place is determined by rational, economical buildings. The client’s wish was for a profitable complex with low maintenance costs.

Through their proportions and the spaces formed between them the buildings, six in all, are integrated precisely in the existing urban pattern. The homogeneous architectural expression of all the buildings is intentional and refers to the industrial structures. The main orientation is towards the southwest and the area where building is not permitted and towards the planted circulation zones.

The surrounding residential buildings and the industrial character of the district are reflected in the buildings’ structure and the horizontally layered external envelope. References to the characteristics of cooperative residential buildings are evident on the one hand in the banded facade and the use of concrete, on the other in the way the buildings are elevated somewhat above ground level.

The garden space is part of the communal area and is not intended for individual use, the raised ground floor underlines this intention. Instead, generously dimensioned loggias provide private outdoor spaces in front of the living areas.