Hobelwerk Winterthur is a new cooperative residential and commercial quarter being developed on the former industrial site of the Kälin AG timber works in Oberwinterthur, Switzerland.63 The project transforms a long-used production area into a mixed-use neighbourhood with housing, workspaces and community facilities, while reusing key industrial structures such as the former planing mill hall and open timber storage hall.67
The development is led by the housing cooperative Baugenossenschaft mehr als wohnen (Zurich), which acts as client, developer and long-term owner under the cost-rent (Kostenmiete) principle, meaning no profits are distributed to private owners.375 On a site of around 15,000 m², the cooperative is constructing five buildings in two phases, with a total of 158 apartments plus ateliers, commercial premises and communal spaces.6 Construction on the Hobelwerk site has been underway since 2020 and is planned in two stages up to the end of 2023.6
The housing offer ranges from 1.5- to 6.5-room apartments to micro-studios, cluster apartments, large shared flats and special forms of assisted or community-oriented living, designed for a socially and economically diverse resident base including singles, families, older people and those with specific housing needs.27 In total, over 400 people are expected to live and work in the quarter.63
The outdoor spaces and ground floors are designed to support everyday encounters between residents and businesses, with green open spaces, affordable commercial units of various sizes, and the covered Hobelwerkplatz serving as a shared commons for events and informal use.67 Landscape architecture is by Studio Vulkan, with architecture by Pool Architekten, Ramser Schmid Architekten, in situ and Pascal Flammer Architekten.5