Hurst Song Architekten
Holzkristall, Haus in Lumbrein
Description
The building is located at the periphery of the village and ascribed to the landscape of a sloping field. The new road curves below the plot, necessitating a steep embankment where a small incision is made to allow access to the garage and provide entry to the house through the basement. The gabled roof is oriented perpendicular to the slope following local custom. The building volume is rotated to face the street and to optimize the stunning views. The resulting crystalline geometry emphasizes a dynamic relationship to the landscape. This reading is enhanced by the absence of roof eaves. The sheathing, composed of vertical wooden planks, is treated with a weatherproof dark stain that relates to the materiality of the aged barns in the region. The standing-seam copper roof will age in a short time to the same hue as the façade. The interiors are primarily composed of concrete and spruce. The surfaces interlock and graduate in proportion from the cellar to the attic from heavy to light. In the living room a rugged concrete floor matches the concrete walls and in the bedrooms the wood floors are made from the same material as the timber walls and ceilings.