P129

Private House Weiermattring Brugg

Nestled within a post-war estate of modest terraced houses, this home occupies a corner plot behind the historic barracks area of the city of Brugg. The estate's layout features staggered rows of three houses, each separated by intimate garden spaces, creating a rhythmic interplay between built and open areas.

Originally, the house's compact design presented challenges: rooms were arranged around a central corridor leading upstairs, and the small kitchen, tucked away from both the entrance and garden, felt disconnected from daily life. Over time, many residents extended their kitchens outward, encroaching upon garden space to create more functional interiors—a transformation this property had also undergone.




The new owners envisioned a more cohesive living experience. Rather than merely adding space, they sought to integrate the kitchen seamlessly with the living area, forging a central hub for family life. This intervention reoriented the home's dynamics, placing the kitchen and living room at its heart.

The newly added room blurs the boundaries between indoors and out. Generous windows frame views of the garden, while terrazzo floor tiles extend the interior's texture outward. A built-in bench beneath the sloping roof offers a cozy nook, and a bay window crafted from oiled oak invites moments of pause at this junction between home and nature.

Externally, the clapboard timber cladding, accented with fluted cover profiles, pays homage to post-war modernism. Finished with a mineral-based wood stain, it harmonizes with the original aesthetic. The roof, now insulated and equipped with inline solar panels, marries historical character with contemporary sustainability.

above: Condition before intervention with terrace

Client
Privat

Services
Architecture, General Planning, Construction Management

Planning Team
Building Physics: Amstein + Walthert, Zurich

Colaboration
Jaime Gil Simoes, Thomas Baumgartner Gsell

Completion: April to July 2021 (extension), October to December 2021 (renovation)