Economical housing replaces factory: Merker-Park
The Merker site in Baden now houses 45 low-cost apartments where the enameling plant once stood. The five-story structure sets new standards with regard to insulation and energy consumption.
Architects Zulauf & Schmidlin have designed and constructed a complex of 45 apartments as the second stage of converting the site of the former Merker factory in Baden. The site is located in close proximity to a local recreation area, but is also in the middle of the city and within easy walking distance of the railway station. The owners had defined two specifications that the new building had to fulfill: they wanted an energy-efficient building and apartments with different layout plans – suitable for singles and families as well as for the elderly and young tenants – but costing no more than one million Swiss francs each.
The architects designed a building of 70 meters in length and a depth of 27 meters, with four atriums as a source of natural light. It has five stories and a basement with underground parking. Both the north and south faces of the facade have a projecting glazed balcony, 70 centimeters in depth, with a skin of folding sliding shutters made of perforated aluminum that moves in front of the glazing. It serves as privacy screen and glare protection for the facades and the atriums. The folding sliding shutters made of lasered, perforated metal plate are equipped with the HAWA Frontfold 20 hardware. The shutters in the atriums are powered by the building's electric drive system.
Project movie:
Architekten BSA SIA AG
Bruggerstrasse 37
5400 Brugg, Switzerland
Spilhof 1
5626 Hermetschwil, Switzerland
Baden, Switzerland