Metropolitan areas in Europe are facing the pressure of urban transformation. Zurich, for instance, has facilitated its growth largely through total demolition and new construction. But what alternatives are there for building on what already exists and making use of its potential?

Over the course of three years, Jan De Vylder, chair of the 33.3% design studio at ETH Zurich, investigated these questions together with students and guests in the form of case studies. Focusing on the economy of means, the 33.3% approach offers a working method that does not strive for a 100% solution, but rather seeks a partial yet precise intervention that bridges the gap between old and new.