Lyse Lotte by Clauss Kahl Merz: A Cooperative Housing Model Redefining Community Living in Basel

Lyse Lotte by Clauss Kahl Merz is a groundbreaking example of cooperative residential architecture in Basel, Switzerland. Completed in 2023, this project reimagines how diverse typologies can coexist within one cohesive building while enhancing community engagement, environmental efficiency, and long-term adaptability. Designed for roughly 40 residents, Lyse Lotte merges living and working spaces into a vibrant ecosystem focused on togetherness and flexible urban living.

A Collage of Residential Typologies

The architects envisioned Lyse Lotte as an assemblage of distinct dwelling types, each expressing its own identity. By stacking varied residential typologies, the building creates a visually rich and dynamic composition. Banded facades, layered balconies, generous arbors, and timber pergolas celebrate the individuality of each unit while maintaining a unified architectural language.

These overlapping typologies act as micro-neighborhoods, fostering intimacy and diversity within the building. As shared spaces intersect and boundaries blur, Lyse Lotte forms new spatial relationships—allowing circulation, visual connections, and social interactions to emerge organically.

A Slim Urban Form with Social Depth

Set within a narrow urban footprint, Lyse Lotte’s elongated structure is both efficient and expressive. The building’s robust architectural framework allows for long-term transformation, making it adaptable to future spatial and social needs. This flexibility reflects the cooperative’s commitment to participation, resilience, and community-led evolution.

The façade incorporates a rhythm of windows, projecting balconies, and green terraces that soften the building’s linear mass. The interplay of planted surfaces and natural materials enhances biophilic qualities, contributing to healthier living environments.

Integrated Living and Working Spaces

Lyse Lotte demonstrates how residential architecture can simultaneously support work, leisure, and community life. The project accommodates:

• Small commercial spaces for local work and craft
• Two-story residential studios offering dynamic, loft-like living
• Shared-entrance apartments designed for intergenerational coexistence
• Barrier-free units connected by wide exterior arbors
• Special communal rooms, including a joker room, guest room, and a fully equipped guest apartment
• A rooftop greenhouse, giving residents access to shared gardening and seasonal cultivation

These varied programs support an innovative lifestyle where collaboration naturally blends with privacy.

A Community-Driven Future

Ultimately, Lyse Lotte stands as a powerful model for cooperative housing in dense urban contexts. Its mosaic of units, flexible design strategies, and layered community spaces highlight how architecture can foster sustainable, inclusive, and socially engaged forms of living.

All photographs are works of  Willem Pab