Memreg industrial design

20/09/2026

A glimpse into the past — and future — of Basel’s Franck Areal.

I recently joined a guided visit to Franck Areal, organised by Werkbund Nordwestschweiz, exploring the history, spatial character and current transformation of this remarkable industrial site. The visit was followed by the launch of a new photographic publication by the Schweizerischer Werkbund.

The site’s industrial history dates back to 1884, when Heinrich Franck Söhne established a factory here to produce Franck Aroma, a coffee substitute made from chicory roots. After the merger with Helvetia in 1930, the company became Thomi + Franck, and the site later became associated with products including THOMY mustard and mayonnaise.

Today, Franck Areal is gradually being transformed into a new piece of the city, bringing together culture, work, circular-economy activities and neighbourhood uses, while retaining much of its existing industrial fabric. The development is being implemented by Wegwarte AG, with a strong focus on adaptive reuse, circular construction and the continued life of existing structures.

One particularly interesting aspect of the evening was the connection between the site and architectural education. Students from the Institute of Architecture FHNW curated the image selection for the Werkbund publication as part of the “Wahrnehmen Darstellen” module. The module is taught by Mathis Füssler, lecturer at the Institute of Architecture FHNW.

For me, this added another layer to the visit: Franck Areal is not only a case of adaptive reuse and circular transformation, but also a place to reflect on how existing architecture is observed, interpreted and represented before decisions are made about its future.

Many thanks to Werkbund Nordwestschweiz, the Institute of Architecture FHNW, Mathis Füssler, the participating students and everyone involved for creating such a thoughtful encounter with the past and future of Franck Areal.

CircularConstruction IndustrialHeritage Architecture UrbanTransformation Baukultur

15/09/2026

Heat protection is health protection.

Dr. Martina S. Ragettli from Swiss TPH brought a crucial public-health perspective to today’s Staying Cool symposium at FHNW.

Rising temperatures are not only a climate or architectural challenge. They directly affect health, wellbeing and quality of life — and the risks are not distributed equally.

A few points I’m taking away:

→ Heat affects the body in multiple ways, with older people, people with chronic conditions, young children and those directly exposed to heat among the more vulnerable groups.

→ Heat protection needs to work at several levels: information and behavioural guidance, warning and action systems, and long-term structural adaptation.

→ Communication matters — but information alone is not enough. The environments in which people live, move and spend time also need to change.

→ Effective adaptation requires coordination across sectors rather than isolated measures.

→ Participatory approaches can make interventions more relevant, accepted and effective.

One example particularly connected with public-space design: transforming a schoolyard to reduce heat exposure while simultaneously creating a greener, more inclusive and better shared space.

For me, this changes the way we should talk about shade, trees, cool routes, places to rest and climate-responsive public space.

They are not simply amenities. They are part of public-health infrastructure.

That makes heat resilience not only an environmental responsibility, but also a design responsibility.

Hitzeschutz ist Gesundheitsschutz – und damit auch eine Aufgabe für die Gestaltung unserer Städte und öffentlichen Räume.

Swiss TPH FHNW Institut Architektur Hochschule für Architektur, Bau und Geomatik FHNW

ClimateAdaptation UrbanHeat UrbanDesign PublicSpace ClimateResponsiveDesign UrbanFurniture Basel Urbaniture

15/09/2026

Cooling Justice: who gets to be comfortable — and at what cost?

Prof. Daniel A. Barber’s talk at the Staying Cool symposium shifted the discussion from cooling as a technical problem to cooling as a question of equity, culture and responsibility.

One of the strongest points was the paradox of air conditioning:
the more we cool interiors mechanically, the more heat and energy demand we can generate outside.

A few ideas that stayed with me:

→ Efficiency alone is not enough. More efficient systems can still lead to more overall consumption.

→ We also need to talk about sufficiency — reducing absolute demand for energy, materials and resources while maintaining wellbeing.

→ Thermal comfort is not neutral. Access to cooling is distributed unevenly, while waste heat, energy use and climate impacts are often experienced elsewhere.

→ Buildings are not static objects. They shape habits, expectations and future patterns of living.

→ Architecture sits between policy and everyday practice — which gives designers both responsibility and agency.

One image from the talk made the argument particularly clear: air conditioning does not simply “remove” heat. It moves heat somewhere else.

From a public-space perspective, this raises an important question:

How can we design comfort without simply externalising discomfort?

Shade, vegetation, passive cooling, material choices, spatial configuration and shared urban infrastructure may need to become part of the same conversation.

And perhaps the most useful closing thought:
Hope is not optimism. Hope is something we practise.

15/09/2026

15/09/2026

Today in Muttenz: the «Staying Cool – Designs for the Heated City» symposium at the Institute of Architecture FHNW.

Prof. Ursula Hürzeler and Prof. Shadi Rahbaran opened with a simple but uncomfortable question: How can architecture and urban design respond to rising temperatures while also creating liveable, social and fair spaces?

My takeaways:

→ Think of the city as an adaptive living space, where buildings, open spaces, water and infrastructure work together.
→ New technology isn’t enough. Our idea of comfort and our everyday habits need rethinking too.
→ Start from what already exists, intervene precisely, and combine proven methods with innovation.
→ The good news: we have room to act. Standing by is not an option.

From a public space perspective, I think this is one of the key design questions of the coming years: shade, quality of stay and climate resilience need to be designed together.

FHNW Institut Architektur Hochschule für Architektur, Bau und Geomatik FHNW Rahbaran Hürzeler Architects

Heute am Symposium «Staying Cool» in Muttenz – danke für den inspirierenden Auftakt.

UrbanHeat PublicSpace HeatResilience Basel Muttenz Urbaniture

13/09/2026

Yesterday I joined the “HIER UND JETZT” site visit at Volta Nord, Baufeld 2.1 in Basel.

Designed by Studio DIA and Merett for SBB Immobilien, the mixed-use development combines commercial spaces at ground level with 102 apartments above.

What stood out to me most was how the building is organised through open circulation, inner courtyards, terraces and semi-open shared spaces. Rather than feeling like a conventional residential block, it creates a small living system with its own internal relationships and rhythms.

The combination of exposed concrete, metal elements and the distinctive red-toned façades gives the project a strong identity, while the courtyards, planted areas and generous circulation spaces create different layers between private, shared and urban life.

Seen from the upper levels, the wider transformation of Volta Nord is particularly striking. With several neighbouring buildings still under construction, it is possible to see an entirely new piece of Basel taking shape.

A valuable opportunity to experience the project from the inside and to observe how architecture, landscape and shared space come together at this scale.

Thanks to Architektur Dialoge for opening the project to visitors.

Architecture: Studio DIA + Merett
Landscape Architecture: Schläpfer Carstensen
Client: SBB Immobilien SBB CFF FFS
Basel: The City of Basel Basel I Switzerland

Housing MixedUse PublicSpace SharedSpace SwissArchitecture thisisbasel

11/09/2026

The Curiosity Juncture. In the third keynote of the Creative Economies Forum 2026 at ZHdK, Richie Manu (Central Saint Martins, UAL) made the case for curiosity as a skill you practise, not just a trait you have.

What I'm taking home:
→ There are two kinds. Diversive curiosity opens you to the new. Epistemic curiosity turns that into understanding and connection.
→ Start with simple questions: What is this? What could it be? What could it not be?
→ Going deeper doesn't mean becoming a specialist in every field. It means you can work with the people who are.

His opening slide was a painted line bending around a street post. Someone decided to paint around it instead of moving the line. That one felt close to home.

After Re/Wire and Mission Possible, this felt like the thread of the day: value sits in the connections between fields, and in the small things we usually walk past.

11/09/2026

Mission Possible. In the second keynote of the Creative Economies Forum 2026 at ZHdK, Reta Guetg (Zurich Film Festival) talked about the space between cultural mandate and market success. ZFF is around 90% privately financed, with only about 10% from public funding. That changes how you see the red carpet.

What I'm taking home:
→ Partnerships work when they fit the mission and stay natural. Sometimes a chocolate bar with your name on it does more than a big campaign.
→ Talent invited early, before anyone knew them, comes back years later.
→ The festival lasts 11 days, but visibility is built all year.

After this morning's Re/Wire, it felt like the practical answer. Reconnecting culture with the economy rarely comes from one big budget. It comes from many small partnerships that fit together.

11/09/2026

Re/Wire. Dr. Stephan Sigrist (W.I.R.E.) opened the Creative Economies Forum 2026 at ZHdK with a critical thesis. The creative sector keeps growing, but its link to the economy and to society has weakened. Specialisation made us efficient, and it also made us self-referential.
What I'm taking home:
→ AI makes output abundant, so value shifts to trust, curation and human agency.
→ The scarce skill isn't generating ideas. It's turning them into reality and testing them in the real world.
→ Differentiation beats fast-following trends.
From a public-space perspective, one point stood out. A playground outside the door doesn't bring people together on its own. Design has to reconnect people with how they actually live.