A new residential building that sets an example for ecological construction is to be built in the Ausserholligen district in the west of Bern. The Freiburgstrasse 139E development competition attracted considerable interest from planners, with an impressive 69 project submissions competing for the top spots. In this context, we are particularly pleased to have achieved third place in the competition as part of a team with Stiller Projects.
The Lapis design comprises two interlocking rectangular buildings. The wide variety of apartment types on each floor underlines the desired high degree of social diversity. “The designers of the Lapis project have succeeded in developing attractive floor plans based on the structural logic of stone and wood, giving the building a unique expression and lending the location a positive identity.”
LÜCHINGER MEYER PARTNER’s structural concept for the building is primarily based on a strict grid pattern. This allows for appropriate flexibility of use and forms the basis for a system construction with the highest possible degree of standardisation. The natural stone façade also performs the static function of transferring vertical and horizontal loads. If necessary, the bracing walls can be locally prestressed with cables, ensuring that the stone mainly experiences compression – a type of load that optimises the typical material properties of natural stone.