In downtown Basel, Switzerland at Dornacherstrasse 192, an old factory has been transformed into a neighborhood center, Gundeldinger Feld.

The history of this place could be the same as many other places around the world: a 19th century factory in the inner city suddenly moving to the suburbs in order to look for more space, an urban void opening up in the neighborhood, maybe some developer buying the whole area in order to make expensive lofts… But here the story takes a different path. The architectural firm INSITU, composed mainly of people living in the area, develops a project willing to promote local, independent business and improve the cultural offer of the neighborhood. They submit their proposal to the factory’s administrators: a Limited Company, composed of the architects themself will buy the buildings, renew and rent them to the different businesses.

Most of the architects from INSITU have previously worked in Africa, and thus they apply here most of the principles developed in their African experiences:

* reuse of buildings in a way that minimizes the changes in the structure;
* use of massive materials (concrete, brick, wood), easy to repair and with a long lifespan;
* possibility, for a large and diverse population, to come and enjoy the area.

Today, Gundeldinger Feld includes a mixture of activities and business, including:

* two restaurants, Eo Ipso and Blinde Kuh
* a youth hostel
* a rock climbing training center
* a public library
* Pro Natura‘s headoffice
* INSITU headoffice
* a covered playground

What lessons could be learned from this project? Here are mine:

* sustainable development won’t be made of futuristic materials (or over-determined, Le Corbusier-style projects) but of simple, reproducibile solutions.

* In order to be accepted from the main audience, sustainable development has to be fun: somebody will adopt it because of their environmental commitment, some others just because it’s fun or convenient. And all together, all these people will make the business live

* Small business need small rents, but not too small rents. Too expensive rents will make the area accessible only to the most luxurious brands, while too cheap rents will let small business survive without caring too much of their customers. And projects like this need business who take care of their customers!