THINK ARCHITECTURE
House in a vineyard
best architects 21
single family homes
Place
Zurich, Switzerland
Studio
Photos
Simone Bossi
Description
The
stand-alone house is located on a large meadow which forms the upper boundary
of a vineyard. A sequence of rooms consisting of entrance, hall
and courtyard set the stage for the primary axis in the direction of the
vineyard and the lake and are the starting point for a symmetrical layout. The
new building occupies a plot of 24 x 20 metres and reacts to each side with a
cut in its volume. The largest break in volume is on the side of the vineyard
and Lake Zurich. A three-metre deep veranda extends into the centre of the
building to create a semi-enclosed courtyard in which a lone tree is framed by
a sunken outside lounge. This courtyard room forms the conclusion to a succession
of symmetrically aligned reception rooms which make it possible to appreciate
the full depth of the house as soon as one enters. The over height hall is the
centre of the house and the most important living space for the family. From
here, two exploration loops lead to the first floor and the basement
respectively. The two loops provide access to the most important rooms and
enable infinite perambulations through the house. The near-natural
materialisation of earthy scraped stucco is held together by a frame of
delicate glass fibre reinforced cement elements. A uniform window module features
on various sections of the façade. The two-part sliding windows have been designed
with minimal profile glazing and can completely disappear into wall cavities in
the covered parts of the house.