Herti 6 Residential Courtyard 3

Client: Baugenossenschaft Familia Zug

Location: Eichwaldstrasse 2, 6300 Zug

Completion: 2005

Herti 6's plot is located at the transition from the Zug urban area to the Lorzen plain, making it an intermediary between the city and the landscape. This type of courtyard housing arises from the interplay between the traditional urban block and the rural farmstead, with three buildings placed in a group forming an inner courtyard. The inner courtyard is not only used for access, but also develops the individual character of the residential courtyards in line with the ‘small neighbourhoods’ principle. With the garage floor being only half-sunk, the ground floor and the inner courtyard are raised in relation to the surrounding terrain and are connected via stairs and ramps.

Details and elements that determine the external effect (e.g. windows, bin sheds, etc.) were developed for all the courtyards. The external façades facing the communal open space demonstrate the similarity of the courtyards, as they are identically plastered in white in all courtyards. The external façades to the courtyard and the staggered storeys display the courtyard's individual character. The colour and material design provides for the colours red, green and beige in certain spectrums, in combination with the use of Eternit fibre cement and wood in different configurations. This serves as a contrast to the uniform shell and enlivens the overall picture. The spectrum of apartments and users is very diverse, ranging from owner-occupied apartments to cooperative social housing and family-friendly rental apartments, thus fulfilling the requirements of a lively and diverse urban district. Residential courtyards 1 to 4 have already been realised, with residential courtyards 5 and 6 to follow. Courtyard 3, which was realised jointly by KCAP/Astoc and Wiederkehr Krummenacher AG, is presented here as an example.