Visualisation from main axis

The extension is a tool for survival, in its design the survival is enhancing: First, the new façade brings a strong focus to the pedestrian street in front, defining a focal axis within the repeated street pattern of a site that is as of now without hierarchy for development. Secondly, the public quality of the exterior space is invited and prolonged inside in a greenhouse-like elevated garden, offering a space to rest, meet, exchange, contemplate at any time of the year. Finally, the relationship between the site's traditional logistic function and the public is revived through transparency. The unseen, hidden working world of Dreispitz becomes visible.

Mass plan

The old railtracks now not in use anymore are turnt into green axis to allow pedestrian and cycling mobility in opposition to the heavy traffic in the streets alimenting the back of the logistic buildings. Since the railtracks are the only space not sealed with asphalt, they easily allow vegetation to grow, quickly offering a strategy to fight the urban heat island effect caused by the sealed grounds. The small parking lots become parks and destinations for outdoor activities for the local community.

Cross section

Given the strict plot limits, the extension makes the most of its little available space. It is composed of three "buffer zones": The façade which hosts the circulation and access to the ateliers and labs and a public green-house garden, all spaces for accidental interactions. The floor which is raised to make room for the technical apparatus. The ceiling which is composed of two layers, a polycarbonate sheet on top and an ETFE cushion on the bottom that together form a buffer zone assuring a high thermal comfort for the indoor climate while filling the generous space below with light.

Choisy axonometric view

To remain as light as possible while providing adequate sunlight exposure for the labs and the ateliers, the roof is composed of two layers, on top a polycabronate roof working as a first layer of insulation, and underneath a an ETFE cushion. In between the two, the air is allowed to circulate through mechanical louvres, regulating the temperature inside the buffer space according to seasons. In winter, the buffer space is under negative pressure, the louvres are open sucking in outside air. This cold air then travels through the buffer and is heated up by radiation before being released inside the labs and ateliers. The circulation strip also offers an extra layer of insulation as it is warmed by radiation. In summer, the circulation strip is ventilated via mechanical windows inspired by greenhouses. For the roof, the louvers are open at both extremities, letting the air flow through it and following its upward motion creating a stack effect and cooling down the air in between the polycarbonate and the ETFE membrane.

Visualisation

I the end, the intervention becomes a tool for survival, as this added-on value will financially support the companies present on the plot. As such, the project will effectively work both as an architectural and economical prosthesis to preserve and prolong the lifespan of the existing building and its actors while enhancing the spatial qualities of the plot and its relationship with the site.