This call aims to support concrete, locally anchored projects that integrate services of general interest (SGI) and Baukultur in a specific building or central site within a rural municipality. Eligible applicants include mayors, municipal authorities, property owners, and service providers. APPLY NOW!
In many rural municipalities, services of general interest are changing noticeably. Post offices are closing, village shops are struggling to survive, bank branches are disappearing, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to secure a medical practice in the long term. At the same time, buildings in village centres stand that once housed precisely these functions: former post offices, inns, small shops, municipal buildings or railway stations.
The first meeting of the sounding board took place in Bern at the end of November 2025. Together with representatives from municipalities and professional associations, the project team discussed the launch of the project and the initial results of the good practice research and typology development. This early exchange was intended to sharpen the focus of the project from the outset and to test initial assumptions against practical experience.
COBASI is built on the conviction that the transformation of Baukultur an services of general interest cannot be addressed from a single disciplinary or institutional perspective. The project therefore brings together a consortium that combines complementary expertise in architecture, spatial planning, governance, regional development and implementation. Research and practice are deliberately intertwined.
The Sounding Board is an advisory body that supports the COBASI project throughout its duration. At regular meetings, the project progress and new findings are jointly reviewed and evaluated in relation to practical requirements.
The COBASI project is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the National Research Program NRP 81 on Building Culture. In addition, there are several aspects in which COBASI contributes to NRP 81 and benefits from it. NRP 81 “Building Culture – for an Ecological and Social Transformation of the Built Environment” provides a national framework for rethinking the planning, construction, and redesign of our living spaces.
