Experimental field of cooperative city life
The Hobelwerk in Oberwinterthur shows how a dense, mixed-use district can be created from a former industrial site right next to the train station, combining living, working and community life in a new way. Around 400 people live and work here in a confined space with diverse forms of housing, robust urban development and a clear cooperative vision.
As an innovation and learning platform, “mehr als wohnen” sees the Hobelwerk not only as a housing estate, but also as a real-life laboratory for new forms of housing, participation models and cooperative governance. For experts in planning, housing construction and urban development, the neighborhood offers illustrative material for central questions of future urban development. For example, the focus is on how much community everyday life can actually tolerate and how mixed uses can be organized in such a way that they function robustly in the long term. It also shows how a district can be designed to be socially open, ecologically ambitious and yet economically viable.
The Hobelwerk is located on the former site of the Kälin & Co. carpentry factory right next to Oberwinterthur railroad station and thus in a well-developed, formerly commercial location. The client is the building cooperative mehr als wohnen, which has realized its second major project after the Hunziker Areal and developed the site in two stages between 2018 and 2023.
five new buildings and several converted existing buildings have been built on an area of around 16,000 m², with a total of around 158 apartments plus commercial and communal areas. The development is considered a model for socially, ecologically and economically sustainable urban development and has won several architectural and energy awards.
urban design, architecture and mix of uses
The various structures, including long blocks along the tracks, a courtyard house, a rectangular building and a small residential tower, create a small-scale quarter with courtyards, alleyways, play areas and gardens. Several offices, including pool Architekten, Ramser Schmid, Pascal Flammer, Baubüro in situ and Studio Vulkan, ensure diversity in the details while maintaining a clear overall figure.
the mix of uses ranges from classic 1.5- to 6.5-room apartments, cluster apartments and micro co-living to residential studios for cultural workers and commercial space of various sizes, some of which is affordable. The first floor includes a daycare center, bakery, co-working space, studios, laundromats, common rooms and communal areas that function as an extended “living room” for the development.
living concepts and everyday organization
The cooperative combines established and experimental forms of living such as micro-co-living for one to two people with shared kitchens and common areas, spacious cluster apartments for shared apartments, classic family apartments and inclusive housing projects, for example with partner organizations such as jawohn. The residential offering is complemented by guest rooms, guest apartments and rooms that can be flexibly rented.
the commons play a central role with arcades, roof terraces, common rooms and the covered Hobelwerkplatz square, which facilitate informal encounters and shared use. Residents actively shape the neighborhood in neighborhood groups and participation formats, a core component of the “more than housing” DNA.
existing buildings, open space and identity
The old planing mill hall and the Z-Hall were preserved, gently converted and now form the center with a covered square for markets, festivals, cultural and neighborhood events. In this way, the industrial past remains present as a spatial and narrative layer and gives the area a clear identity.
the open space design with vegetable gardens, gravel paths, play areas and the greening of courtyards and façades aims to ensure a high quality of stay, heat reduction and biodiversity. Low-car access and a mobility station with bikes and trailers make everyday life without a car easier.
sustainability, governance and learning character
The project focuses on energy-efficient construction, robust, durable materials and the targeted reuse of components, combined with low per capita consumption of resources and space. The Hobelwerk received several awards for this, including as one of the best new construction projects in Switzerland and for its energy-efficient, resource-conserving design.