Aug 28

The Koch-Neighbourhood: Over 300 new cooperative flats by 2026

Between Altstetten and Albisrieden, a new neighborhood is being developed that will include about 360 cooperative housing units for over 900 people by 2026. But the new area of town will be much more than just residential space: it will also include a large park and a large commercial building, creating an ideal space for living, working, and leisure. Here, we provide interesting details about the project.

From the City of Zurich to the cooperatives

Building site at the Koch estate in Zürich — The project is progressing well.

The City of Zurich purchased the approximately 30,000 m² Koch area in 2013 for 70 million Swiss Francs from UBS AG, which corresponds to the market price. Located in the Letzi area, the site was designated for affordable housing. This aligns with the regional and municipal development plan for the city of Zurich, which anticipates significant growth in this district in the future. In 2017, the Allgemeine Baugenossenschaft Zürich (ABZ) and the Bau- und Wohngenossenschaft Kraftwerk 1 (KW1) were awarded the contract to construct the housing. Additionally, the real estate developer Senn Resources AG is allowed to build a commercial building. The large neighborhood park will be managed by Grün Stadt Zürich.

The ABZ apartments

In the Koch neighborhood, ABZ is constructing two buildings: a lower one with 40 units and a high-rise with 164 units. The range of apartments extends from 2 to 5.5 room flats, with a focus on smaller rather than larger apartments, reflecting the current demand in Zurich. The cooperative aims for proportional use of living space, hence occupancy rules apply. The formula is the number of rooms (rounded down) minus one determines the minimum number of people who must live in an apartment. Therefore, a 3-room apartment requires at least 2 occupants, and a 4.5-room apartment at least 3. The application process will probably take place in autumn 2025, starting with the row building followed by the high-rise. It is important to note that ABZ members will have priority in the rental process. Unfortunately, one can only become a member by renting an apartment. This means: those who are not currently renting from ABZ would need to move into another ABZ apartment first to be eligible for the Koch neighborhood. This can be challenging. However, we expect that a large portion of the apartments will be publicly advertised.

The Kraftwerk 1 apartments

In total, KW1 is creating about 125 apartments on the Koch-Areal. The variety is broad, including everything from studios to family apartments and large cluster apartments. Some apartments are even designed as raw construction/atelier spaces where tenants can design the interior themselves. Like ABZ, occupancy rules also apply here, possibly even stricter. For some apartments, the goal might be one room per person. It is crucial to consider this when applying! Anyone applying for an apartment that is too large will be immediately disqualified, as was clearly the case with the Langgrüt project by GBL. The rental process for "normal" apartments will start about a year before occupancy (sometime in 2025), and even earlier for special types of apartments. It's important to note that the apartments will only be advertised among KW1 members. Those interested must become a member by December 2024 and pay a fee of CHF 550. More detailed instructions can be found on the cooperative's website. Currently, about 3,100 people are members of KW1, and only about 500 live in one of their settlements. The chances of securing an apartment in the Koch neighborhood are therefore quite slim, but they drop to zero if you're not a member. Upon leaving the cooperative, CHF 500 of the paid fee is refunded (CHF 50 is a processing fee). One might consider whether it's worth spending CHF 50 to participate in this housing lottery. You can find out how to join the cooperative here.

A place for creators

The Koch neighborhood will include more than just housing! A commercial building named 'MACH' and a 12,000 m² park are also being constructed, with the commercial building planned to be occupied in 2026. This building is intended to promote urban production and attract companies that identify with the city of Zurich. The building will house a wide range of activities including design, prototyping, manufacturing, logistics, sales, and service. There are still commercial spaces available, and interested parties can fill out the form on the website.

At the heart of the neighbourhood: Green space

At the center of the new neighborhood, a 12,000 m² park managed by Grün Stadt Zürich is being developed. The park will feature an open meadow with trees as well as a wilder section and – as a covered space – the former coal storage hall. We are confident that the park will greatly enhance the neighborhood and foster neighbourly contacts.

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Our subscribers have always been at the forefront with many new construction projects (Buchwiesen, Langgrüt, Tokeh), because we immediately inform when a cooperative starts renting. We will closely monitor the Koch neighborhood and send out an email as soon as the rental is announced. Subscribe today to ensure you don't miss out on any cooperative housing opportunities in Zurich!