Efringerstrasse Basel

Efringerstrasse Basel
Efringerstrasse Basel

EFRINGERSTRASSE BASEL

Lukas Raeber Architekten

ARCHITECTS
Lukas Raeber Architekten

BUDGET
Undisclosed

STATUS
Built

SIZE
5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft

YEAR
2022

LOCATION
Basel, Switzerland

TYPE
Residential › Multi Unit Housing

A DECONSTRUCTIBLE MULTIFAMILY RESIDENCE

Above a metalwork shop in Basel’s Matthäusquartier, eight new residential units rise.

Efringerstrasse Basel
Efringerstrasse Basel
Efringerstrasse Basel

Made from prefabricated wood elements, the new four-story building sits atop the existing ground-level structure.

On the street side, the addition matches the eave height of the neighboring property and reinterprets the adjacent roof edge as a sawtooth roof.

Its shape and orientation also make it the ideal location for the building’s solar panels. On the courtyard side, the building is stepped back as required by zoning, creating a spacious balcony for each apartment.

Efringerstrasse Basel
Efringerstrasse Basel
Efringerstrasse Basel

The residential units are entered at street level, where the mix of new and existing elements feels perfectly natural. 

The atmosphere in this entrance area is defined by traces of the past, and by the reinforced-concrete and masonry work intrinsic to the building’s structure.

From ground level, a staircase made from prefabricated wood elements leads to the warmer atmosphere of the apartments above.

Efringerstrasse Basel
Efringerstrasse Basel

Large metal panels protect the wood structure from the elements and add urban flair. The construction firm that runs the metal shop on the ground floor was extensively involved in the project – they fabricated the street-facing facade, among many other components – and their materials are visible everywhere.

The simplicity of the fabrication and construction processes remains visible in the finished building, and the interplay between the different materials contributes significantly to the atmosphere of the space.

The entire addition and all of its fixtures implement the idea of “urban mining” to the greatest extent possible.

Efringerstrasse Basel
Efringerstrasse Basel
Efringerstrasse Basel

This idea is based on the argument that all the resources used to build a building should be reusable, recyclable, or compostable whenever feasible. The building was designed and built with these restrictions in mind.

As a result, almost all of its components are attached with screws for easy removal, rather than being glued down. The building was designed and built with these restrictions in mind.

As a result, almost all of its components are attached with screws for easy removal, rather than being glued down.

Efringerstrasse Basel