Headquarters of Solares Bauen
Just a few minutes by bike from the city center and the train station, and located along a cycle path, the site lies within a natural, protected zone where new construction is prohibited. It forms a narrow ribbon of preserved, bucolic, and untamed landscape that meanders along a branch of the Rhine—the Ill river—punctuated by a few rare dark timber buildings barely visible behind dense vegetation.
The project involved converting a former industrial structure—originally the administrative offices of a forge, later a coffee roasting workshop—into workspaces for the engineers of Solares Bauen, a technical consultancy specializing in thermal performance, building services, and environmental design. The goal was to achieve at least the Passivhaus standard.
The intervention aims to heighten the powerful presence of nature: by accentuating the geometric purity of the building, whose abstraction contrasts with the surrounding vegetation and the meandering river; by materially embedding it within the architectural language of the small timber buildings scattered along this natural edge; and by taking advantage of deciduous foliage as both seasonal solar shading and a living canvas that animates the interior.
While flexible, the project is a bespoke response to the concept of the workplace—balancing collective energy with individual calm, and unity with singularity. The main volume, built on a square footprint, was stripped of two protruding annexes and its only floor slab, then extended upward to accommodate three levels of offices. The original façade composition— with its large openings—was preserved as required by local regulations. The new floors offer a gradual unfolding toward the landscape: from windows set into solid walls, to openings with glazed spandrels, to a broad horizontal aperture nestled within the treetops. A central void visually connects the three levels into a cohesive whole. Wrapped in a timber screen, this internal atrium brings people together while preserving a degree of separation—evoking a moucharabieh, which offers filtered views while maintaining privacy.
This compact, nearly cubic building offers varied working conditions depending on floor and orientation, encouraging movement throughout the space and fostering a dynamic, collaborative, and creative work environment.
