The building is characterised by simple geometric shapes, both inside and out, that harmoniously resolve the dialogue with the surrounding nature through the use of materials typical of the architecture of the Ticino area and large glass surfaces to emphasise the view of the lake and the forest. It is a single-family building with two above-ground floors plus a basement, but designed to be easily converted into a two-family property.

The irregular shape of the plot influenced the footprint of the building, which takes the form of a parallelepiped to leave as much space as possible outside, especially towards the forest.

The two above-ground volumes overlap each other, creating a structural overhang that was carefully studied in order to find a solution to best express our architectural idea while adapting to the Swiss design reality which, in our case, promoted the use of reinforced concrete partition structures. A great deal of work was done precisely in order to keep the building as flexible as possible in terms of distribution, despite the rigidity of a structure made of more “intrusive” and less adaptable load-bearing elements. In order to connect the two above-ground floors, a glass volume was designed that contains a two-flight staircase that appears to be suspended, climbing up a single central septum.

The project underwent numerous adaptations during the course of the construction work, in order to best suit the client’s requirements.

The internal layout and the entire interior design process faithfully met the client’s requirements, while preserving the architectural principles we had originally set forth.