Location: Basel, Switzerland
Design Team: PARABASE GmbH (Carla Ferrando, Pablo Garrido Arnaiz); Structural Engineering: Monotti Ingegneri; Landscape Architect: USUS Landschaftsarchitektur AG (Roger Keller, Ana Olalquiaga)
Program: Reuse of prefabricated concrete components
Year: 2023 (competition and project) - on-going

To address the persistent housing shortage in Basel, the canton has launched the "Wohnbauprogramm 1000+," an initiative to create over 1,000 affordable housing units by 2035. As part of this plan, the Walkeweg area, a former industrial site, was identified for residential development, leading to an international architectural competition that encouraged resource-efficient and circular construction strategies. The competition specifically sought projects prioritising material reuse, and transforming demolition waste into valuable building components. To support this goal, participants had access to a curated catalogue of salvaged materials, assembled by Zirkular GmbH for the Basel real estate authority.

The winning proposal for Lots C and D, submitted by Parabase in collaboration with Monotti Ingegneri SA and USUS Landscape Architecture, is known as ELEMENTA. The project envisions 120 permanent residences alongside 44 temporary housing units dedicated to migrant integration, with completion scheduled for 2028. Following the competition, the design team was tasked not only with refining the architectural concept but also with overseeing the selective demolition process and coordinating the recovery of materials to be reintegrated into the new structures. The project plans to reuse over 2,500 salvaged building components, reducing its carbon footprint by approximately 1,100,000 kg of CO₂ compared to conventional construction methods.

The development consists of nine buildings, with different typologies across the two lots. Lot C, the larger of the two, will feature six linear buildings of four stories each, where external staircases and corridors provide access to the apartments and create a dynamic facade. Lot D, in contrast, will consist of three-story row houses with a compact footprint and dual-aspect layouts to maximize natural light and ventilation. A defining characteristic of ELEMENTA is its extensive use of materials salvaged from the Lysbüchel multi-story parking garage, a 1970s structure currently undergoing disassembly.

Among the key reused elements are precast concrete ribbed slabs, originally produced by Stahlton AG, which will be repurposed as load-bearing facade elements for the buildings in Lot D. Reoriented vertically instead of their original horizontal placement, they will be left exposed, their textured surfaces creating a shifting interplay of light and shadow. Internally, insulation layers will be added to meet thermal performance requirements. This system, designed with disassembly in mind, ensures that the materials can be reused again in the future. In Lot C, prefabricated reinforced concrete columns from the same parking structure will be reemployed as primary vertical supports, integrated into a new steel-beam framework.

Beyond its material choices, ELEMENTA represents a broader shift in architectural thinking. Rather than incorporating recycled components into a pre-established design, the project positions them as generative elements that actively shape structure and aesthetics. This approach reduces environmental impact while demonstrating that constraints imposed by material availability can foster creativity rather than hinder it. By embracing circular economy principles, ELEMENTA sets a precedent for future sustainable construction, proving that material reuse can drive innovation while maintaining economic feasibility and architectural quality.

PARABASE website