High-rise Buildings, Baden , 2009, 4th prize, special prize sustainability

ABB’s industrial area, which was formerly hermetically sealed off, is increasingly becoming the service area of the City of Baden. According to an existing area study, two high-rise buildings with space for about 2,600 jobs are to be created on the last available sites next to the SBB tracks. Ideas for the layout of the Brown Boveri Square on the southern part of the site are also requested. We design a service machine with an elegant dress. A superordinate scale is introduced through a fine relief of the façade envelope to counteract the repetition of storeys and the 1.35m grid. “Airboxes” are integrated into the façade on each floor to process and provide supply air locally. In this way, we avoid space-consuming central plant rooms and raiser zones. On the outside, the boxes harmoniously integrate into the façade appearance and become an ornamental sequin motif. Energy is generated by offset photovoltaic elements on the slightly sloping roof surfaces.