Articles by Hadir Al Koshta

The 4Viertel district, located at Seetalplatz in Emmenbrücke, expands the Viscos area and creates a distinctive gateway to the new neighborhood. It preserves the industrial charm of the area while integrating modern urban qualities through plazas and alleys between the buildings. In addition to the existing cinema building, three new constructions have been added, providing a total of 45,000 square meters of net floor space for housing, shops, offices, restaurants, and leisure facilities.

Lyse-Lotte is a cooperative housing development that emerged from the cooperation of the original three interest groups. By stacking different residential typologies, a collage-like architecture is created with banded facades, green balconies, arbors and pergolas.

The M Residence is a mid-century house originally built in the 1980s and is nestled on a seven-acre bucolic wooded area in the Hudson Valley. TAKATINA was approached by the clients, a couple in the creative field, for a gut renovation and addition to modernize the house to suit their lifestyle. Our goal was to create a serene and retreat-like atmosphere while respecting the existing rustic character and highlighting the collection of modern furnishings and art objects.

The new residence is located in the heart of the South Tyrolean wine region, amidst a centuries-old cultural landscape characterized by expansive vineyards.

Eichler’s mid-century modern stylings are abundant in Northern and Southern California and Wavelet House is a reconsideration of the area’s architectural precedent. Set on a narrow lot with side-yard setbacks, the evocative mid-century façade belies an unexpected rear that is more modern. The metal and wood slats of the entrance are quite aesthetically pleasing and offer additional privacy to the residents. The material asymmetry in the front courtyard is a nod to the playfulness of the back of the home.

The Westbrook Residence proposes an alternative model for building in the sprawling post-war suburbs of Austin, Texas. It embraces the changing demographics of this once-modest neighborhood without losing its low-slung character. In a neighborhood where every property is maximizing its allowed FAR (floor area ratio)—either through overwhelming additions or immodest new buildings—the 3,494-square-foot home’s modest scale and demeanor from the street maintains the historic scale of the neighborhood, while its carefully constructed presence allows for an updated disposition more in keeping with its newfound value. In embracing this lower ratio of building to garden, the home is positioned such that its inhabitants live immersed in nature, engaging the different gardens that encircle the building.

The new University Children’s Hospital lies in Zürich-Lengg, at the foot of a hill known as Burghölzli. It is adjacent to other hospital buildings from several eras and is the largest facility for children and adolescents in Switzerland. It consists of two buildings: the acute-care hospital and the research and teaching facility. The acute-care hospital to the south consists of a three-story concrete frame with intricate wooden infills that blend into the landscape. The interior functions like a town: the medical specialties are neighborhoods with squares and connecting streets. On each of the three floors, a central main street runs past various green courtyards that provide orientation and bring daylight into the building. The patients’ rooms on the roof are like individual cottages.