History of the Area
Excerpt from the assessment of the architectural value from June 2013:
Kilchberg (which until 1903 was called Bendlikon) was not a cohesive village until the early 20th century, but rather a municipality composed of various settlement groups. The largest settlement was Bendlikon, which appeared as a closed, purely agricultural village. The railway connection in 1875 led to a fundamental change in the social and economic structure of the municipality. Since the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, Kilchberg is to be understood urbanistically as an affluent suburban district of Zurich. This changed the settlement pattern of Bendlikon fundamentally. Located near the train station, it quickly expanded beyond its old boundaries and merged with the other settlement cores of the municipality. This ultimately led to a comprehensive development that seamlessly connects to the north with the Wollishofen district and to the south with the municipality of Rüschlikon.

History of the House
Excerpt from the assessment of the architectural value from June 2013:
The architectural landscape of Kilchberg is accordingly heterogeneous.
In addition to the remains of the original core settlements, there are neoclassical buildings from the 19th century and all styles of the 20th century, partly in groups, partly scattered throughout the entire settlement area. In this sense, House Studerweg 4 cannot be considered a representative of "old Bendlikon". It did not assume its current form until between 1861 and 1908; therefore, it is not part of the historical building group that originated from old farmhouses, which has only been preserved on the north side of Dorfstrasse and on Weinbergstrasse. Instead, it belongs to the series of bourgeois and lower-middle-class residential buildings of late neoclassicism that are distributed throughout the entire municipal area. The ensemble effect is therefore only partially given, especially since the house stands isolated on a kind of island, enclosed by the street layout and the railway line and cut off from the surroundings. Although this situation is charming, it does not significantly shape the settlement pattern.

Environment
The municipality of Kilchberg is located directly on Lake Zurich, which extends with its extensive water surface and panoramic views to the mountains. The landscape, characterized by steep terrain, always offers various and exciting views. The protected, rather intimate environment characterized by trees and green spaces complements the concept of a village character at this location.
An underground garage is to be built under the current garden. The entrance via Bungertstrasse and the underground garage itself will remain integrated into the slope. The natural terrain will hardly be altered. The project harmoniously blends into the surroundings. Above ground, visitor parking spaces are provided. The entrance to the house remains on the west side and will be lowered in the new project. Thus, the basement floor appears as a full floor. The former use as a workshop is no longer significant, and now it is seen as an integral part of the building. Starting point for the design The existing house on Studerweg 4 is under profile preservation. Location, floor plan, cubic design, roof shape, and ridge direction may not be changed in a renovation or replacement building. The surrounding area is very heterogeneous in terms of construction. In the north and northeast, i.e., at the lower part of Bahnhofstrasse and the upper part of Dorfstrasse, a small group of historical buildings from Bendlikon has been preserved. Another ensemble of historical buildings is located in the east (at Studerweg and Weinbergstrasse) - but these buildings are separated structurally and visually from the lower part of the village by the railway line and the accompanying noise barriers. A strongly defining separation is provided by the new building block at Studerweg 3, which hides the residential buildings behind it. The house at Studerweg 4, a former simple, two-story gable-roofed building with a rectangular floor plan, has been converted several times over the years until it received its current distinctive volume. One can clearly see the addition on the north side as an attached structure. The roof extension of the annex, together with the opening of the roof through the dormers, completely changes the original shape of the house, which is hardly recognizable. The roof, as a gable roof, is only visible from two sides. This impression is due to the extension, as the gable shape was retained laterally as a canopy. Otherwise, the house appears as a three-story flat building when viewed from the south.

The House
All these factors play a significant role in the overall appearance of the building in the design of the replacement building. The east facade is opened towards the lake with larger window openings. The west facade, facing the railway line, remains rather closed and restrained. The entrance to the house remains on the west side. The former basement floor is now treated as a full floor and accordingly has its architectural expression. The upper floor is complemented by a terrace that replicates an existing annex in the floor plan. Unlike the rest, the attic is treated differently by having fundamentally larger windows. This intervention illustrates that the roof in its current form only emerged through the numerous renovations and does not correspond to the original form and expression of the house. Clear and compact features define the new house with old form in the core zone of Kilchberg, both externally and in the internal organization. With the projecting window frames and the homogeneous window openings, the building is brought down to the scale of the surrounding buildings. The facades are rhythmically structured. With simple means, the architectural expression of layered tectonics is created: a interplay between windows and closed facade surfaces emphasizes the unique structure of the building. The projecting terrace and roof terrace also hint at the theme of layering: they break the strictness of the cube and give the facade a supporting plastic depth. The house will appear as a coherent structure. Former elements such as extensions and roof extensions should merge and act as a whole.

The Details
The new building draws on certain architectural details that strongly characterize the surrounding buildings. Reinterpreting these partly traditional elements gives the building its characteristic appearance for the surroundings and makes it belong. Through the interplay between historical details such as window frames or roof finishes and modern elements such as larger window openings or the projecting terrace, the house becomes the decisive link between the old Bendlikon in the north and the newer residential area in the south of the property. A connection between modernity and tradition emerges.