Doppelhaus Zürich

“The construction of the duplex reverses the classical approach: massive concrete slabs rest on slender solid timber walls of varying thicknesses. The shell remains exposed and at the same time constitutes the finished structure.”

In a suburban setting, a plot with an existing single-family house is densified through the insertion of a duplex. The site is accessed by a one-way street, and the new volume is integrated into the existing fabric. The house contains two apartments.

All materials remain visible, which posed a considerable challenge when combining exposed concrete slabs with large-format untreated silver fir panels. The shell is the finished structure.

The timber walls vary in thickness, from 140 mm at the garden level to 80 mm at the attic. These elements not only bear the loads of the massive concrete slabs but also accept the building’s horizontal forces and provide structural bracing.

Vertical structuring is achieved through split levels. The staggered arrangement of floors is articulated in the timber façade as five ring-shaped layers, which also organize the offset window openings.

A slight inclination of the façade elements ensures consistent drying of the timber surface while reinforcing the legibility of the layering. The result is a coherent and calm façade composition.

The internal and external façade structures correspond.

Client: Private

Planning: Rossetti+Wyss Architekten, Haag + Partner GmbH, Zürcher Elektroplanung AG, Peter Schmucki HLK Planung, Bünder Sanitärplanung AG, Bakus Bauphysik & Akustik GmbH

Photos: © Jürg Zimmermann