KASERNE BASEL
HOUSE SONCEBOZ
HOCHSTRASSE BASEL
LA FRAMBOISIÈRE MERCUREY
VINERO ECEABAT
HALL STE-CÉCILE BIEL/BIENNE
LA BERGERIE LA LIVINIÈRE
HAUS AM RHEIN BASEL
L’HOSPITALET NARBONNE
PARK CHOISY BIEL/BIENNE
ORDOS 100 INNER MONGOLIA
KOLONOU 42-44-46 ATHENS
SQUARE PROJECTS ATHENS
ATTIC PORRENTRUY
PATIO HOUSE PORRENTRUY GYMNASIUM BIEL/BIENNE
WOHNEN IM SCHÖNBERGPARK BERN
GLENELLY CELLARS STELLENBOSCH
HOUSE SALENSTEIN
LE MARAIS DU BILLET CHESEAUX
PAVILLON PORRENTRUY
nMBA LAUSANNE

007 HOUSE ON THE LAKE CONSTANCE
SALENSTEIN, SWITZERLAND
Project and realization 2004-2006

Client: Private. Type: Commission, full services. Gross floor area: 390 m2.
Structural engineer: Felix Anderes Ingenieurbüro, Kreuzlingen.
Project team: Jean-Frédéric Luscher, Christine Jahn, Sacha Marchal.

When we met the client, a recently-moved-to-Switzerland German family of three people, for the first site visit, we decided to tear down the existing house of the 60’s despite of the good quality of its substance. It was obvious that a contemporary glazed house would offers more relations with the landscape, in particular the beautiful views to the lake Constance on North side, and to the vineyard on East and South sides, as well as to the Arenenberg Castle, where Napoleon III used to live.

The project reflects simply this aim to interacting with the site.
The living area is organized on one floor, which is in direct contact with the garden.
Two large slabs are tied together with solid walls fragments and create a stiff element, which is placed on the hillside without affecting the topology. The new structure is lodged in the smaller footprint of the old house. Large cantilevers on four sides define various situations with the site and offer a shelter to the ground floor functions: a commercial practice for the owner and garages. This allowed a fast track planning and construction.
A winter garden acts as the heart of the house, where one enters from the stairs. Two extra large sliding windows turn it into outdoor space in summer.
The parents’ suite, the child bedroom and the living area are all directly connected to it. The couple live in a series of fully glazed rooms along the south and east sides, including the bedroom, a training room and a sauna. More intimate spaces, like the changing room, the bathroom and toilets are placed in a solid volume with skylights, which provides privacy and a contrast with the other extraverted spaces. Solid walls portions protect visually for the neighbours in combination with vegetal screens.
The living area is oriented from South to North and benefits in a fluent way of selected views to the Lake and a good solar orientation. A balcony experiences the cantilever in a dramatic angle of the project.