Luegisland apartment building, Schwamendingen

The Project

The architectural firm Oxid Architektur GmbH won a private competition with a well-thought-out and systematically structured timber construction project. The five-story residential building offers 34 apartments of varying layouts, ranging from 2.5 to 4.5 rooms. The staggered arrangement of the building blocks ensures privacy for residents as well as optimal lighting conditions. Part of the forward-looking mobility concept involves forgoing an underground parking garage in favor of a green bicycle pavilion constructed using CLT. The landscape design is inspired by the garden city model and incorporates existing large trees.

Construction Method

The building is being constructed using modern timber-frame construction, specifically a post-and-beam system. TS3 technology enables construction without joists, allowing the architectural concept featuring floor-to-ceiling windows to be realized. The TS3 load-bearing structure is constructed just-in-time and to a visible finish in just 4 weeks, significantly reducing traffic and noise emissions and ensuring that the tight schedule can be met.

The Challenges

A key structural engineering consideration was optimizing the construction timeline, as the site for the replacement building is located in a quiet, densely built-up residential neighborhood. While the stairwell is typically constructed before the timber structure—resulting in a delay of several weeks—a novel approach was chosen here: timber construction and concrete work proceeded in parallel, floor by floor. This close collaboration between the timber contractor and the master builder enabled a seamless integration of materials, reduced complexity at the interfaces, and saved a total of about three months of construction time—a decisive advantage for the project’s cost-effectiveness and adherence to the schedule.

Construction data

• Number of floors: 4 plus attic
• Floor space: 2,900 m²

Architecture

Oxid Architektur LLC, Zurich

Client

Private

Timber construction

Renggli AG, Schötz

GU/TU

Renggli AG, Schötz