This apartment building in Alt-Wiedikon is typical of the interwar period. The building completes a block with front gardens, and these green spaces characterise the neighbourhood and reflect the architectural style of the time. The apartments were designed for families of four or five, with two children sleeping in the same room and a middle room, which actually faced the living room, serving as a buffer.

The project consisted of two parts: the renovation of five residential floors and the conversion of the attic into an additional residential unit.

The kitchens from the 1980s had reached the end of their useful life. The layout of these kitchens had prioritised cupboard space at the expense of dining and work tables. The bathrooms were lightly renovated along with the surfaces in the rest of the living areas.

We used the renovation to optimise the floor plans, minimally but precisely: The new built-in kitchen created space for a small kitchen table. The kitchen and central room were provided with generous openings to the corridor. The latter can thus function as a dining room, with a more direct connection to the kitchen, however, it can still be used as a buffer for another child when the two sound-proofed doors are closed.

We converted the attic into an additional living space. The flat roof pitch and low knee wall posed a particular challenge. We responded to this with two wide dormer windows for the kitchen and dining area. A recessed balcony also provides access to the outdoors, a feature that is rarely found in attic apartments but is greatly appreciated.