Blättler Dafflon Architekten
RaBe duplex
best architects 20
single family homes
Place
Beinwil am See, Switzerland
Studio
Photos
Joel Tettamanti
Description
In the centre
of the village Beinwil am See, on the edge of a forested ravine stands a
semi-detached house. At first glance, it is house whose form seamlessly blends
into its rural environment. A closer look reveals its versatile full-scale and
functional facets. Due to its angled shape and two-part structure, the size of
the house is barely noticeable. Nonetheless, the generous semi-detached house adds
to the central density of the village and makes for economical use of the land.
In its gently sloped position, the half-storey displaced floors of the building
follow the mature terrain and provide level entrances as well as seating on the
southern side and facing the evening sun. Two very different housing typologies
fill the volume and find space, sun, privacy and views of the forest and the
lake. The timber structure is clad with simple, dark, pre-weathered spruce
formwork. The width of the formwork on the orthogonal façade surfaces measures 8 centimetres. On the «folded» surfaces, the
formwork with 4 centimetres appears narrower, which recalls the appearance of
folding blinds. White windows appear luminescent on the background of the dark
wooden cladding and add to the composition of the façades. The soffits
and the steeply angled sills are made of cedar. Three porches mark the
entrances.