A striking new residential development in Switzerland demonstrates how thoughtful design can transform utilitarian concrete construction into vibrant community living spaces. Buchner Bründler Architekten has completed the Rötiboden housing complex, featuring eleven terraced homes that combine raw concrete surfaces with bold colorful details including bright blue, green, yellow, and orange gutters, balustrades, awnings, and staircases.
Located north of Wädenswil in central Switzerland, the development sits in a formerly agricultural area that has recently undergone significant redevelopment. The project emerged from collaboration with a local landowner who grew up on a nearby farm and envisioned creating affordable housing with strong community character. "High demand for residential property and speculation in the real estate sector have seen the northern slope of Wädenswil dominated by profit-driven development projects that offer neither social value nor character," explained co-founder Daniel Buchner.
The client's vision went beyond typical housing development goals. "The initiator's wish was to create a place with a strong identity, where families on smaller budgets could live together," Buchner noted. "Or, as she beautifully put it at the start: 'I wish for a place that sings.'" This poetic aspiration directly influenced the architectural approach, leading to the integration of vibrant color elements that enliven the otherwise austere concrete construction.
The Rötiboden complex consists of two rectilinear volumes that are strategically rotated to follow the natural contours of the site. Between these structures, architects created a central public square anchored by a tree, which serves as what the studio describes as the development's "communal heart." This design approach emphasizes community interaction and shared outdoor spaces rather than private isolation.
Each terraced home spans three floors connected by distinctive spiral staircases painted in bright colors. The interior spaces feature wooden partition walls clad in maritime pine panels, creating a warm contrast against the raw concrete surfaces. The buildings' elevations are almost entirely glazed, providing each home with large, dual-aspect living spaces that offer stunning views across Lake Zurich toward the distant Alps.
The complex's outdoor spaces are carefully designed to promote community engagement. "All outdoor spaces – gardens, courtyards and terraces – are connected horizontally and vertically and are available for use by the entire community," Buchner explained. To the south, the blocks face the street behind a low privacy wall that protects a shared paved patio. On the northern side, a ground-floor arcade provides shelter under the cantilevering terrace above, with concrete stairs leading to a sloping garden area.
Colorful architectural elements serve both functional and aesthetic purposes throughout the development. The ground floor of the eastern block houses a shared communal room with large sliding glass doors opening onto the central square. This space is flanked by two green spiral staircases that provide external access between the first floor and rooftop terraces. Blue metal balustrades wrap around the terraces, while retractable orange awnings on the first and ground floors allow residents to control shading as needed.
Buchner Bründler Architekten, led by Daniel Buchner and Andres Bründler, has established a reputation for innovative residential projects that balance functionality with distinctive design elements. The firm's previous work includes an apartment tower in Wabern featuring large balconies wrapped with metal mesh, and they designed the Swiss Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010. The Rötiboden project represents their continued commitment to creating housing that serves both individual needs and community well-being while challenging conventional approaches to residential development in Switzerland's competitive real estate market.
