Familienheim-Genossenschaft Zürich

The Familienheim-Genossenschaft Zürich (FGZ) is a housing cooperative (Baugenossenschaft) based in the Friesenberg district of Zürich, Switzerland. Founded in 1924 with the English garden city movement as a model, it builds and rents affordable apartments for all generations, with a particular focus on households with children and on housing for the post-child phase of life. Its roughly 25 settlements were built in stages over the decades, with the oldest dating from 1925 to 1934, a second construction phase from 1943 to the early 1970s, and later new and replacement buildings from the 1980s onward. The FGZ's built legacy, the Gartenstadt Friesenberg, is a significant urban ensemble in which the garden city model was realized spatially, socially, functionally and aesthetically, and which remains uniquely experienceable as of 2021. It comprises 155 multi-family houses and 860 single-family houses with a total of 2,291 apartments, plus ten school and commercial buildings, and has a largely car-free internal path network and gardens with high biodiversity. The cooperative is one of the largest and oldest in Switzerland, and is unusual in that practically all of its residential properties are located on the Friesenberg, giving it a defining influence on the district. A master plan published by the cooperative and the City of Zürich in 2016 envisaged demolition and denser redevelopment, including the historic core of the garden city (founding stages I and II, architect Fritz Reiber) and stages 5 and 6 'Klein- and Grossalbis' (architect Heinrich Peter), which are regarded in Switzerland as architecturally unique works of New Building comparable to the Werkbundsiedlung Neubühl. In a ruling of 25 August 2020, the Federal Supreme Court decided that the two founding stages of the FGZ must be preserved. The FGZ describes itself as social, solidarity-based, sustainable, inclusive, open, tolerant, child- and nature-friendly, and oriented toward the common good. It operates community facilities and a newsletter, and its website lists events such as woodworking courses, clothing swaps, a fall market and music events at Friesenbergplatz.

The Familienheim-Genossenschaft Zürich (FGZ) was founded in 1924, modeled on the English garden cities. Its settlements were built in stages over the following decades. The oldest stages date from 1925 to 1934: Pappelstrasse (1925), Schweighofstrasse Nord (1926), Grünmatt (1929, replaced in 2014), Staffelhof (1929), Kleinalbis (1931), Schweighofstrasse Mitte (1932, replaced in 1989), Grossalbis (1933) and Schweighofstrasse Süd (1934). A second construction phase began in 1943 and lasted until the early 1970s, including Rossweidli/Langweid (1943), Arbental (1944), Bernhard-Jaeggi-Weg (1945), Schweigmatt (1948), Adolf-Lüchinger-Strasse (1952), Hegianwandweg (1952), Rossweidli (1954), Arbental II (1959) and Friesenberghalde (1969). From the 1980s onward, new buildings and replacement buildings for earlier settlements were added, such as Manessehof (1984, outside Friesenberg), Brombeeriweg (2003) and Quartierzentrum Friesenberg (2019). The resulting Gartenstadt Friesenberg comprises 155 multi-family houses and 860 single-family houses with a total of 2,291 apartments, plus ten school and commercial buildings. It has a largely car-free internal path network and gardens with high biodiversity. The FGZ is one of the largest and oldest housing cooperatives in Switzerland, and is unusual in that practically all of its residential properties are located on the Friesenberg, giving it a defining influence on the district. A master plan published by the cooperative and the City of Zürich in 2016 envisaged demolition and denser redevelopment. The historic core of the garden city with the founding stages I and II (architect Fritz Reiber) as well as stages 5 and 6 'Klein- and Grossalbis' (architect Heinrich Peter, stages 3 to 9 and the cooperative house) were to disappear entirely; these are regarded in Switzerland as architecturally unique works of New Building, comparable to the Werkbundsiedlung Neubühl. In a ruling of 25 August 2020, the Federal Supreme Court decided that the two founding stages of the FGZ must be preserved.

• 2005

  Unterer Schweighof II further replacement (28 apartments).

• 2003

  Brombeeriweg built (74 apartments).

• 1999

  Unterer Schweighof II partially replaced (28 apartments).

• 1998

  Unterer Schweighof I replaced (95 apartments).

• 1989

  Schweighofstrasse Mitte replaced (60 apartments).

• 1984

  Manessehof built (43 apartments, outside Friesenberg).

• 1976

  Blumenhaus built (22 apartments).

• 1971

  Administration building constructed (2 apartments).

• 1969

  Friesenberghalde stage built (162 apartments).

• 1959

  Arbental II stage built (418 apartments).

• 1954

  Rossweidli stage built (99 apartments).

• 1952

  Adolf-Lüchinger-Strasse and Hegianwandweg stages built.

• 1948

  Schweigmatt stage built (11 single-family houses, 102 apartments).

• 1945

  Bernhard-Jaeggi-Weg stage built (129 single-family houses).

• 1944

  Arbental stage built (142 single-family houses).

• 1943

  Second construction phase begins with Rossweidli/Langweid (89 single-family houses).

• 1934

  Schweighofstrasse Süd stage built (27 single-family houses).

• 1933

  Grossalbis stage built (74 single-family houses).

• 1932

  Schweighofstrasse Mitte stage built (60 apartments; replaced in 1989).

• 1931

  Kleinalbis stage built (97 single-family houses).

• 1929

  Grünmatt and Staffelhof stages built.

• 1926

  Schweighofstrasse Nord stage built (29 single-family houses, 38 apartments).

• 1925

  Pappelstrasse stage built (56 single-family houses, 21 apartments).

• 1924

  FGZ founded, modeled on English garden cities.

A family-oriented, solidarity-based and lively neighborhood cooperative providing affordable and attractive housing with a social and future-oriented approach.

• Gartenstadt Friesenberg

  The cooperative's settlement ensemble of 155 multi-family houses and 860 single-family houses with 2,291 apartments and ten school and commercial buildings.

• Quartierzentrum Friesenberg

  Neighborhood center built in 2019 with 101 apartments.

1. 1Home - fgzzh.chfgzzh.ch
2. 2Familienheim-Genossenschaft Zürichwikidata.org
3. 3Familienheim-Genossenschaft Zürichde.wikipedia.org