Sternen apartment house, Birmensdorf
The apartment building in Birmensdorf, on the site of the former Sternen country inn, benefits from the advantages of its rural setting as well as from the amenities offered by the nearby city. Through its striking positioning the building screens the six rental apartments from the busy road, while the south front has large areas of glazing.
Birmensdorf lies in the middle of a wide valley floor that is open at several places, on the western side of the Uetliberg. The site itself is on the grounds of the old Sternen country inn. When the inn was still running the location already combined the advantages of an undeveloped landscape with a settlement area.
The new building is placed parallel to the approach road at the rear. The outdoor spaces of the six apartments face directly onto a green space in the south and towards a quiet residential area that borders on it. This facade has full-height windows and a striking layer of balconies, for the most part continuous.
The internal circulation together with an ancillary spatial core containing a practical laundry room and a top-lit bathroom articulates the floor plan of each apartment. The rooms used in the daytime extend through the depth of the building. At ground and first floor level they open up on the street side, whereas at rooftop level they have corner glazing on the garden side. A luxurious semi-open kitchen enhances the quality of daily life.
Site plan
Ground floor
Basement floor
Typical floor
Attic
Section
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