Bridges House

Parkhaus Sihlquai, currently an underutilized parking structure in central Zurich, represents a unique opportunity for urban transformation and social innovation.

This project envisions converting the site into a vibrant residential and support hub, specifically designed for migrant women and their children — 46.4% of Zurich’s residents have a migration background, and over 3,000 migrant women aged 65 and older live in the city today. Facing the growing concerns about housing insecurity, social isolation, and integration barriers, this project offers a concrete, community-based solution.

At the core of this transformation is OFF (Ort Für Frauen), an association that annually supports around 2,000 migrant women and their children through education, community building, and advocacy. OFF will soon lose its current location and is in urgent need of a new, permanent home. This project not only secures that future but also expands OFF’s mission — embedding it within a living environment that fosters daily interaction, shared responsibility, and collective care.

The new complex retains three levels of parking, repurposes one floor for OFF and a childcare/afterschool center, repurposes two floors of residential units, and adds two floors of residential units that are lightweight and constructed atop the existing structure, ensuring increased density without compromising the foundation. The building will host 24 apartment units, with 6 units per floor, accommodating approximately 60 residents.

Each residential floor is organized with a graduation of privacy. Each floor is organized around a passageway, a generous shared corridor that functions as a communal area for cooking, laundry, play, and shared meals. Entrances to flats are paired and include access to shared bathrooms, establishing a gentle threshold between communal and more private areas. Within each unit, a semi-private kitchen can expand into the passageway for communal events. Bedrooms lead to individual balconies that open toward the Limmat and a newly created green public space in front of the building.

The building incorporates sliding doors and movable façade elements to offer flexibility, encourage personalization, and manage sunlight, noise, and visibility. The rooftop levels serve distinct social functions: one is a playground directly connected to the childcare center and OFF, and the other is a residents-only community garden and terrace, providing relaxation, gardening opportunities, and views over the river.

Ceiling heights are increased through structural adaptation, enhancing spatial comfort while preserving the original framework.

By maintaining and adapting the existing framework, the project embraces sustainable reuse.

This transformation of Parkhaus Sihlquai into a socially focused residential and support center provides a tangible, sustainable response to some of Zurich’s most pressing urban challenges — housing insecurity, social fragmentation, and the integration of migrant communities.

Project by: Océane Brosteaux

Teaching team: Anna Puigjaner, Dafni Retzepi, Ethel Baraona Pohl, Pol Esteve Castelló, Lisa Maillard, He Shen, He Yufei. In collaboration with BUK

Master Thesis: Spring 2025