Think Architecture
Patio houses in Meilen
best architects 18
single family homes
Place
Meilen / Switzerland
Studio
Photos
Marco Zbinden
Description
A building and housing typology was developed specifically for this project that responds to the prevailing potentials of the plot and the issue of the nearby forest. The undevelopable part of the property towards the forest is made use of for private outdoor spaces. Patios looking onto the trees stage the special closeness to nature and accentuate the quality of this sloping sight with its views. The same floor plan typology in all five patio homes divides them into two very distinct areas: the private side towards the woods and the more extroverted side with views of the lake.
The volumes of the spacious units are slightly staggered along the course of the topography, developing naturally out of the terrain with their vertical orientation. A massive exposed concrete base – accommodating the bedrooms – follows the grade of the slope. Above is a structurally separate, pavilion-like level for the living areas. With its dark brown metal cladding, it blends harmoniously into the natural wooded landscape behind. The ribs in the metal façade extend over the entire height of the upper level, alternating with expansive windows. The project replaces a stately family home that once stood here and proposes a specific typology as a solution for denser building in neighbourhoods of single-family homes.