Zurich: Groundbreaking ceremony for new PWG building

The new building with 33 affordable apartments replaces an existing property that the PWG Foundation acquired in 1992 as one of the first properties ever. Even at that time, the building fabric of the property, which was built in 1909, was "in poor condition," according to the foundation.

Now, the replacement building became unavoidable, and in addition, utilization reserves allowed for over 60 percent more living space. "We use opportunities for structural densification whenever possible," says Alexandra Banz, who is responsible for construction projects at the foundation. The competition was won in 2014 by the architectural firm Edelaar Mosayebi Inderbitzin from Zurich, which has since optimized the project and brought it to implementation readiness. The Minergie-Eco standard building is scheduled for completion in 2019 and will cost CHF 15.5 million.

The new residential building is aimed at "residents who want to live in a way that conserves resources," says PWG. The apartments are extremely compact, which not only minimizes the use of space, but also reduces the rents of the individual residents. There will be no expensive underground parking, because the "future tenants will commit themselves by rental contract not to own a car and instead to rely on bicycles and public transport," says Jürg Steiner, managing director of the PWG Foundation, on the occasion of the start of construction.