Efringer Multifamily Residence / Lukas Raeber Architects

Above a metalwork shop in Basel’s Matthäusquartier, eight new residential units rise. Made from prefabricated wood elements, the new four-story building sits atop the existing ground-level structure. On the street side, the addition matches the eave height of the neighboring property and reinterprets the adjacent roof edge as a sawtooth roof. Its shape and orientation also make it the ideal location for the building’s solar panels. On the courtyard side, the building is stepped back as required by zoning, creating a spacious balcony for each apartment.