San Bernardino Social Housing, Switzerland
Two phases design Competition - 3rd prize
with Guidotti architetti
The project draws inspiration from the prominent presence of 19th-century architecture that characterizes the historic core of San Bernardino. Its aim is to establish a harmonious dialogue with both the Romanesque chapel and the Chiesa Rotonda. The intervention seeks to create a new monumental complex that reinforces the central role of the small square in front of the Chiesa Rotonda. The building’s floor plan, based on the geometry of an equilateral triangle, emphasizes its formal autonomy and sets it apart from the surrounding built environment shaped by speculative development. In doing so, the project contributes to defining a new urban unity, while respecting the identity and independence of the individual elements that compose it. All apartments benefit from the triangular geometry by enjoying triple exposure. The structure consists of a central reinforced concrete core, wooden floors and façades made of timber-framed elements. This construction system enables a dual perception of the building: from a distance, it appears as a monolithic, mineral-like volume, while up close, it reveals a lightweight, modular character.
Images @robinarchive.com