marchwell Valentino Marchisella Architekten

Description

The plot is situated in the countryside outside Zurich and is surrounded on three sides by a neighbourhood street. It is surrounded by freestanding one and two-storey single-family houses. Between them are green areas flowing down from Pfannenstiel Mountain to the valley below, with Greifensee Lake. The site is problematic not only due to its steep slope but also because the southern and western sides are perpendicular to the hill and the beautiful views of the lake and mountains are hence on the »wrong« side. The clients wanted a Minergie-standard wooden house that takes advantage of the views while providing abundant sunny outdoor spaces. The house was also to be a »children’s house«, a setting for many shared activities. Based on these framework conditions, a building was designed that proceeds uphill on various levels, with a footprint that masters the task of providing usable outdoor spaces despite the problematic shape of the plot. The central design element is a two-storey living room with a six-meter-tall, freestanding fireplace made of exposed concrete. The floor plan and the deft development of the cross-sections create captivating vantage points both inside and outside. The entire basement level is made of concrete, while the ground floor and first floor were prefabricated from timber framework elements. The rear-ventilated wood façade consists of pre-weathered, horizontally mounted spruce boards in various widths.