LX. Zurich, Switzerland

LX. Zürich, Switzerland

Zürich, Switzerland

Zürich, Switzerland

Zürich has the largest population of all cities in Switzerland. It is comprised of 12 districts, each one made up of one to two neighborhoods with the densest districts surrounding the city center. It is divided by the Limmat River which runs from the north-west into Lake Zürich. The entire metro area surrounds the northern portion of the lake and is nestled between mountainous regions to the east and west.

Switzerland is a very mountainous country with mountains definind the north-east and western boundaries of Zürich. The city center, though on a flatter portion of terrain, is still quite hilly. The southern portion of Zürich is along the coast of Lake Zürich where the Limmat River empties. It offers many spaces for people to gather and enjoy the crystal-clear water coming from melted snow from the surrounding mountain tops. Zürich has many options for public transportation including streetcars, buses, trains, and even water taxis. These all create a network which easily connects all 12 districts in the metropolitan region.

Zürich became Switzerland’s financial center around the end of the 19th century. After World War II, there was an influx of immigrants from abroad as well as rural Swiss areas, and that led to a leap in population. It was around this time that the population hit one million people. One third of the population is immigrants, most coming from Italy, Germany, Portugal, and the Balkans. Much of the current population growth can be attributed to incoming Ukranian refugees due to conflict occurring in that region.

Population:
Urban: 433,989 people

Area:
Urban: 87.88 square km
Metro: 1729 square km

Population Density:
4938 people/km2

Politics:
Zürich’s political rulings are determined by its communities. They have the ability to vote on laws, legistlative proposals, and members of their governing body. The governing body consists of the City Council which is the executive portion of the government and the Municipal Council which consists of parliament and legislature. These positions are voted on by Zürich’s residents every four years. The responsibilities of the Government Council include, but are not limited to, managing cantonal administration; preparing the budget; drafting laws, amendments, and legislation; and negotiating agreements between nations and cantons.

From Left to Right : Munsterhof, Napfbrunnen, Bahnhofstrasse, Rennweg

Zürich - High-Density Housing Typologies

Zürich - Urban Void Spaces

Zürich, Switzerland - Charkop Gaothan (Kandivali):

Area: 17.8 square km
Population: 589,886 people
Population Density: 33,129 people/km2

Mumbai, India- Zaveri Bazaar (Marine Lines):

Area: 1.8 square km
Population: 202, 922 people
Population Density: 112,734 people/km2

Mumbai, India - Deonar (Chembur):

Area: 32.5 square km
Population: 674,850 people
Population Density: 20,764 people/km2

Regenesis: Sustainable Dwelling Initiative, (Deonar) Mumbai

This proposed project is an initiative to revitalize and regenerate the neighbourhood surrounding Mumbai’s largest dumping ground at Deonar. The residents of this neighbourhood are the marginalized and socially ostracized community who work on the landfill site to segregate waste to earn a living for themselves. The existing informal housing typologies on the site accommodate anywhere around 6-8 people per dwelling. These homes are single-family units closely built next to each other in a cluster form to create small pockets which enable social interaction amongst the residents. The methane levels in the environment and lack of quality green spaces cause a lot of health as well as environmental hazards, thus, compromising the lives of the residents. To address the challenges within this neighbourhood, the proposed project is an initiative to create a phase-wise development of a self-sustained neighbourhood that enables employment opportunities as well as a better quality of life for the existing residents.

Each block has residential units overlooking central courtyards that either accommodate any commercial, landscape or congregation spaces. Each of these courtyards is further connected by these thoroughfares. The varying sizes of housing units not only accommodate different family sizes but also the staggered patterns allow the formation of green terraces. Prosperous landscape activities like farmlands and greenhouses not only add to the beauty of the site but also foster various livelihood activities for the residents. This allows act as a counter to the methane levels in the air, making the site less prone to fire hazards. In conclusion, this project aims to not only address the issue of high-density quality housing for the site but also foster day-to-day livelihood through productive landscapes.

Site Plan

Programmatic Section

Axonometric View