Nele Dechmann

Duplex Architekten, founded in Zurich in 2007, have earned an excellent reputation for their buildings of different scales and their wide range of typologies. Since 2011, in addition to their headquarters, they have also operated the offshoots Studio Duplex in Düsseldorf and Hamburg, and since 2020, the office Duplex Architectes in Paris. With this first monograph on their work in Germany and Switzerland, Duplex Architekten allow a direct insight into their working methods in residential construction. Five projects in Switzerland, richly illustrated with images, plans and visualisations, illustrate their approach to urban design, typological research and materiality, and demonstrate their highly original working methods.Urban scale, finding new forms of housing, the importance of community and the collaborative design process are central to Duplex Architects' thinking in this field of activity. Nele Dechmann's text and Ludovic Balland's picture essay each illuminate the work of Duplex Architekten in their own way. In addition to the two founding partners Anne Kaestle and Dan Schürch, a number of other articles also have their say, taking a personal look at these five buildings.