Sunshine - E

LOCATION / HISTORY

The municipality of Uitikon (ZH) is situated in a large forest clearing on the northern lower slopes of the Albis mountain chain. The south-west facing hill and its close proximity to Zurich make Uitikon a popular residential and leisure area. The quick access to the A4 highway also contributes to the town’s attractiveness.

The Sunshine residential development stretches along a formerly unbuilt strip of land along the old road to the Schlieren suburb. It completes a neighbourhood that has grown up over the last decade north of the historical, wellpreserved village centre, and offers a beautiful view of the unspoiled forested hills and the Alps.

CONCEPT / ARCHITECTURE

The complex consists of eleven freestanding four-storey residential buildings with flat roofs and rooftop areas. They are placed in two offset rows and are linked by two underground parking garages. The buildings have a solid masonry/concrete shell and plastered external insulation. Depending on their position on-site, they have different polygonal structures. Thanks to the bends and edges, the buildings fit in to their surroundings and each has its own identity.

The architects developed four designs for the 76 condominiums. The buildings along the Schlierenstrasse have two 3-bedroom apartments per floor. These are characterised by flowing communal areas, including a loggia. On the rooftop floor, generously-proportioned

3 and 4-bedroom apartments and their terraces stretch across the whole space. On the basement floor, which rises above ground on the valley side, there is room for small 1 and 2-bedroom apartments in the left corner of the buildings. On this level, the staircases lead directly to the park-like semi-public surroundings of the complex.

In the lower row of houses, two triple aspect 2-bedroom apartments flank a 1-bedroom apartment, which looks out over the no-build zone. They also have linked living and dining14areas with spacious loggias. The lateral apartments on the ground floor are 4-bedroom duplexes: internal staircases lead down to the basement level, offering direct access to the private garden immediately bordering the downhill no-build zone.

The façade plasterwork has a coarser grain on the base and is painted a slightly darker grey than on the upper floors. Along with the large, framed window areas and the glass balustrades, the overall appearance is elegant and restrained.

SPECIAL FEATURES

The complex is Minergie-certified (certificate ZH6497-ZH6507). The compact building structures contribute greatly to energy efficiency; thanks to the good storage capability of the concrete roofs, the complex can make optimal use of heat gains in the colder months. The energy concept includes comfort ventilation that can be individually controlled for each apartment with one heat pump per building and geothermal probes.