A new neighbourhood offering a high standard of living is being built on the site of a former cement factory.
HISTORY AND LOCATION
The Nova development area is located in the flat valley between the Muota river and the Gotthard railway line, not far from Brunnen train station. The town centre and the shores of Lake Lucerne are about a kilometre and a half further southwest. The 52,073 m2 site served as a cement works for more than 100 years. Its construction was once linked to the building of the Gotthard railway line. Operations ceased in 2008. After a phase of interim use, the site was acquired by HRS Investment. The development of flexible working and living environments with an urban character began.
The strip of land, which is just over 350 metres long and 75 metres wide, has been divided into various sections, in which, according to a design plan, buildings with living space and service areas are to be constructed parallel to the river. The arrangement of long volumes close to the railway shield the site from traffic noise. Existing buildings will be integrated into the development; two factory buildings directly on the Muota river will retain their external appearance as iconic historical landmarks and will be converted into residential buildings with lofts. The silo of the former cement works will remain recognisable as a historical landmark and will be converted into a commercial building. The first stage of construction is located immediately south and west of the silo. It will form the entrance to the overall site, oriented towards the town centre.
CONCEPT AND ARCHITECTURE
The first stage will consist of four seven-storey apartment buildings in a dot-like formation, offering a total of 101 modern two-and-a-half to five-and-a-half-room rental apartments. The volumes stand on a shared underground car park and are staggered in such a way that all apartments have a generous view of the surroundings. The outdoor space has been designed as a park landscape, equipped with playgrounds and integrated into the neighbourhood’s network of paths. There is direct access to the waterfront promenade along the Muota river. The outdoor space design creates plenty of drainage areas, while plants provide shaded areas. The greenery supports the air conditioning and ventilation of the outdoor space.
In all four residential buildings, the ground floor is designed as a raised ground floor above a concrete base. However, the balconies on this level are equipped with stairs, providing direct access to a small garden area. Above the six standard storeys and the roof slab, which projects over the balconies on all sides, there is an attic storey with a spacious terrace area. Both the design of the roof edges and the clinker façades of the double-shell masonry are reminiscent of the industrial past of the site and create a connection to the existing buildings. In terms of layout, the buildings are four-unit structures: a central staircase with a lift provides access to four flats on each floor, all of which occupy a corner of the building and are therefore oriented in two directions. A characteristic feature of the buildings are the corner loggias with white concrete balustrades that protrude from the volumes in the form of balconies.
The apartments extend from the entrance in the centre of the volume to the loggia in the corners of the building. In the apartments, this diagonal forms an angled spatial continuum with the communal living area, where the bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen-diner are located. The rooms have brushed oak parquet flooring with a matt finish, while the abrasion of the walls and the white plaster of the ceilings reflect the light. A smart home system provides control and convenient operation of lighting, sun shading, heating and ventilation. Tenants have access to “Living Services”, a smart and straightforward service for matters relating to the apartments, such as information management via a pinboard, community functions and contact options with the property management team.
SUSTAINABILITY
The development is certified by Minergie greenproperty® Status Gold. It obtains district heating from nearby Agro Energie Schwyz AG, with heat distributed via underfloor heating and individual room control providing individual comfort. The buildings are equipped with a centrally controlled ventilation system, while photovoltaic systems on the roofs produce electricity.