The Burdens of Linearity

Linear typologies for collective slopeside housing include both the terrassenhaus as well as the terraced houses as we find at Neubühl or here at Wasserwerk I. And yet, each of these types could be said to be more of a linear aggregation of boxes than a truly linear form. This project attempts to take linearity more literally—the genossenschaft as a line (i.e. the Lettenfussweg) impregnated with household objects. Rather than mimicking or adhering directly to the topography, the building itself becomes topographical.

Placed along the tracks near Banhof Wipkingen, this inhabited wall forms a barrier between passing trains and the terraced houses of Wasserwerk I. The lonely, speculative chalet from an unrealized vision for collective housing now serves as a guesthouse.