Riehen BS – Properties of the Canton of Basel-Stadt have won the international prize for sustainable architecture awarded by the University of Ferrara and the Fassa Bortolo company. The buildings on Hirtenweg in Riehen scored with timber construction and socially acceptable densification of living space.
The properties of the canton of Basel-Stadt at Hirtenweg 16 to 28 in Riehen have won this year’s international prize for sustainable architecture, the cantonal finance department informs in a statement. Every year, the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Ferrara and the building materials company Fassa Bortolo award the prize to projects “that focus on the needs of people and act as role models in the careful use of natural resources,” it continues. Canton’s properties beat out numerous other projects from around the world in this year’s competition.
The international jury was particularly impressed by two aspects of the properties in Riehen. This was, on the one hand, the socially acceptable densification of housing. Of the five buildings already on the parcel, the canton has renovated three. The remaining two were demolished and replaced by three new buildings. This almost doubled the number of apartments from 32 to 63.
On the other hand, the resource-saving solid wood construction method in the project realized by the project team Harry Gugger Studio AG, Erne AG Holzbau and Fontana Landschaftsarchitektur tipped the scales. The wooden modules were prefabricated in a production hall and then assembled on site within a very short time. In addition, the residents of the properties were able to remain on site throughout the construction work. Residents of the deconstructed buildings moved into an already completed new building before their old house was demolished. ce/hs
