bunq architectes

Description

The two buildings on the avenue de Béthusy in Lausanne are part of an ensemble that is listed in the ISOS Swiss heritage inventory. Their façades are identified as grade 3 and must be preserved. The proposed extension creates four new flats in the first building and two in the second. Because of the height restrictions on the attics, the flats are small but benefit from generous outdoor areas and excellent views of the lake and the Alps. A progression of steps gradually reveals the spaces. From the staircase level, one enters a hall that is one step lower and then the kitchen, which offers a perspective on the day space. This simple system, which moves from the small space to the large landscape without showing everything at once, increases the feeling of spaciousness in the home. A timber-framed spreader floor is built on top of the uppermost slab. The upper storey is likewise of insulated timber frame construction. The ventilated façade is made of planks painted in the same colour as the parging. The rafters of the eaves echo the concrete motifs of the existing ornamental friezes. The architectural expression thus plays on a form of ambiguity that lies between mimetic and constructive truth. From a distance, the attic façade appears to be rendered. Up close, you can see the planks that make up the ventilated façade.