To enhance the ecological and economical use of land and apply his research findings into praxis, he works with the Häring Group, a cutting edge Swiss timber company. As lead architect, he is responsible for the planning of multiple wooden housing projects, under the premises of sustainable densification.
He pursues his postgraduate studies at the Budapest University of Technology, where he got his doctoral degree for his dissertation entitled Dense Space - the problem of densification in contemporary swiss architecture. In this period, the conversion and reconstruction project of a holiday home designed by famed Hungarian architects Vadász and Basa in the late 80s, opens him the possibility to further develop his own architectural vocabulary.
Bálint entered the practice of Herzog & de Meuron where he worked as team-lead building envelope on the Meret Oppenheim Highrise in Basel during the design and construction phases. He acted as project architect in the projects Elementum and Paketposthalle, both in Munich. Subsequently he collaborated on the new children’s hospital in Zürich, the largest of its kind in Switzerland - both on the facades as well as on the two-storey therapeutic sky-space of American artist James Turrell.
After graduation Bálint moved to Basel to gather experience in multiple practices. He worked with Raeto Studer on the renovation of the historical Oekolampad ensemble in Basel, as well as on the Schmerikon pavilion at lake Zurich. In Budapest, he designed the conversion of an apartment in an art deco villa, as well as the refurbishment of a studio in a former sanatorium in the Buda hills.
He developed his diploma work in the studio of prof. Mihály Balázs and graduated in Budapest.
He worked as an intern at the practice of Vincent Rapin and Maria Saiz in Vevey, Switzerland, as well as at the Namer Architecture Studio in Hungary.
He went on studying at the École Polytechnique Fédérale deLausanne / EPFL.
From 2004 on, he studied Architecture at the Budapest University of Technology.
Bálint’s early years are marked by the lively cultural life in the city of Pécs, Hungary, by the atmosphere of his artist family, as well as by his secondary education at the Benedictine School of Pannonhalma.
Dense Space
the problem of densification in contemporary swiss architecture
(DLA dissertation - Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Doctoral School of Architecture 2022)
In my thesis, I seek to answer the question: what are the architectural and urbanistic consequences of increasing density of built-up areas in Switzerland? My aim is to explore, on the one hand, the context in which contemporary architects are working and, on the other hand, what trends and attempts at solutions have been observed since 2014 to resolve the apparent paradox between construction and the erosion of the land for construction.
The relevance of architectural quality
(Hungarian Architecture 2019/3)
The Origen Festival has been held every year since 2006 in an Alpine valley in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The country's largest theatrical institution in the Rhaeto-Romanic language area, has also become an ongoing cultural preservation initiative. In 2017, a 30-meter high wooden tower was added to the unique festival venue.
Super density - limit of growth of a European city. Meret Oppenheim Skyscraper
(Glocal Architecture, Yearbook of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics Doctoral School of Architecture, 2018/2019)
The city of Basel is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in its history. Situated in the centre of Europe, on the border of three countries and with a strong historical heritage, the city has reached a turning point in its growth, as it is running out of buildable land - its specific geographical location means that it can only expand by densifying its existing land or by vertical growth.
Between Art and Architecture
(Balkon Art Magazine, 2019/01)
Moving across boundaries, beyond the borders of traditional art forms, is now almost a standard artistic behaviour. Yet, to choose exclusively and consciously the frontier as the focus of a creative career is a rarer enterprise. Moreover, Rémy Zaugg's activities do not stop at the fine arts in the narrow sense of the term - he has also produced architectural and urban planning works.
