Village of Russikon

For the rural municipality of Russikon in the Zurich Oberland, a test planning process was carried out to explore potential for local and inward development.

One key task was the development of the Zelgli village meadow, located directly next to the historic village center. In our contribution to the test planning, the focus was placed on the high landscape value and spatial quality of the meadow. It offers a unique panoramic view of the Alps and forms a highly valuable interface with the village core. Its prominent location along the main access roads, together with the attractive village silhouette, makes the meadow a striking calling card of the village. Due to its distinct qualities and steep topography, the meadow is not suitable for dense development. For these reasons, our concept does not propose large-scale construction on the meadow: Zelgli remains green. Instead, small, village-like and concentrated additions are proposed along the main road and near existing farmsteads to enhance the village edge. These context-sensitive and landscape-integrated interventions preserve the meadow as a popular spot for views and quiet recreation. Thus, Russikon remains a rural village rather than becoming a typical suburb.

At the same time, these modest village extensions offer sufficient, well-phased long-term development opportunities for the municipality—without requiring costly up-front investments in transport infrastructure. The priority is on qualitative, not quantitative development.

A second core task was the development of the village center. Our contribution focused on enhancing the existing historic village core along the main road. Through a spatial redesign, the excellent visibility of the area is emphasized, and synergies between transport and uses are leveraged to support local services. At the rear of the site, quieter green spaces emerge, with the village stream forming part of an inner landscape connection. A multi-generational house marks the transition between the village center and the residential neighborhood. By concentrating on existing structures, no back-road access system is needed, thus avoiding large investments in transport infrastructure.