Strategy for synchronous development of landscape and settlement areas. Official prognoses indicate a marked rise in the population of the Canton of Aargau within the next 20 years. If the rate of growth continues steadily, the urban sprawl taking place in spite of land-use planning efforts will lead to irrevocable destruction of our roots – namely the landscape.
Based on an analysis of the different landscape regions characterising the Aargau area, the Bibergeil Group evolved alternative development strategies. The group exemplifies how selective growth can be used to develop both landscape and settlement in dialogue with each other and how identity-generating living environments can be created.
From urban sprawl to selective growth: the Bibergeil Group – composed of the architecture and landscape architecture firms Studio Vulkan from Zurich, Liechti Graf Zumsteg from Brugg, Meier Leder from Baden and Schneider & Schneider from Aarau – demands a specific and synchronous development of settlement and landscape in the Aargau area. With designs such as the Hero Principle, the Chain of Cities or the Forest City of Lenzburg, architects and landscape architects propose a possible spatial development the Aargau area in the study “Les Argovies – Identity of the In-Between”.
Location: Canton of Aargau, Switzerland
Study: 2015–
Bibergeil Group: Liechti Graf Zumsteg Brugg, Meier Leder Baden, Schneider & Schneider Aarau and Studio Vulkan Zurich
Traffic consulting: Stadt Raum Verkehr, Zurich
Official prognoses indicate a marked rise in the population of the Canton of Aargau within the next 20 years. If the rate of growth continues steadily, the urban sprawl taking place in spite of land-use planning efforts will lead to irrevocable destruction of our roots – namely the landscape.
Based on an analysis of the different landscape regions characterising the Aargau area, the Bibergeil Group evolved alternative development strategies. The group exemplifies how selective growth can be used to develop both landscape and settlement in dialogue with each other and how identity-generating living environments can be created.
The water and glaciers have created a small-scale landscape with a specific structure. The rivers at the moated castle with Aare, Reuss and Limmat cut through Jura to reach Rhine. A series of southern valleys descend from Aare, and are separated from each other by ridges.
Settlement and traffic infrastructures have integrated themselves into this topographical structure over the course of time and stand in a pronounced relation to this landscape. In contrast, the two adjoining metropolises of Zurich and Basel spread across the landscape and stretch their tentacles along the valleys into Aargau.
As a counterpoint to the urban areas, we see the potential of Aargau in the preservation and further development of the existing landscape qualities, and also in finding the identity of its own.
