Reuter Raeber : House in Riehen - best architects 17 in Gold

Reuter Raeber

House in Riehen

best architects 17 in Gold

single family homes

Place

Riehen / Switzerland

Photos

Eik Frenzel

Description

Glass, concrete, wood, and metal serve as the basis for drawing rich associations between space, structure, material and location. What emerges is a house distinguished by contrasting interplays between heavy and light, load and support. The horizontal building structure is thoughtfully embedded into the contours of the hillside, the transition from the interior to the exterior seamless and fluid. The narrow retaining walls bordering the residence and the enveloping yard give shape to a courtyard setting and preserve the palpable feel of the sloping terrain. A set of steps delineates the spatial flow of the interiors from entryway to the living, dining and kitchen areas, picking up on the character of the descending outdoor terrain. The floor, fireplace and two exterior load-bearing shear walls are made of concrete. A homogeneous structure, seemingly cast in one piece, encases the living room and serves as the foundation to the overlying wood construction. The concrete construction on the ground level and the wood construction on the upper level interlock at two key junctions. What emerges is a static balancing act that unleashes an energetic, expansive sense of space and engenders an architectural language rich in associations.