Semi-detached family house Alpenblick, Lake Zurich area 2019

  • Building: Semi-detached family house
  • Year of construction: 2019
  • Client: Private
  • Assignment: New conception house and surroundings
  • Services: Planning and realization
  • Project handling: Christine Hotz Steinemann, Marisa Muscionico, Wadi Jabbour
  • Collaboration: Felix Altenburger Bauleitung

Situation: The semi-detached family house is located in a residential neighbourhood on a slope. In order to give both parts of the house access to the garden and a view, the living units are separated vertically. The living rooms are arranged on the upper floor, the private bedrooms and wet rooms on the lower floor facing the garden. The house remains restrained and simple towards the street but opens up to the expanse of Lake Zurich both in its floor plan and in its expression.  

Construction and façade: The building is an internally insulated bulkhead construction. The two parts of the house each span between two bulkheads. The bulkhead construction allows the consistent separation of the two units and creates sufficient privacy from the neighbouring houses. A skylight in timber construction brings light into the depth of the houses and structures the roof area. Whereas the street façade has only a few openings, the garden façade is mainly glazed and has a playful effect with the terraces, recesses and windows alternating between inside and outside. The deliberate openings of the side bulkheads lend the façades a sculptural quality.

Floor plan and sequence of rooms: The sequence of rooms on the living floor develops from the entrance hall to the dining room, then on to the living room with a terrace. The focal point is the overheight dining room with skylight, directly adjoining the kitchen. The living room lives from the wide view of the lake and the mountains and the strong connection to the terrace. Thanks to the spruce interior, the windows with deep wooden reveals and the generous French windows, the living area is very cosy despite the high proportion of glass. The covering of the terraces with concrete slats leads to an exciting play of light and shadow.


Photograpyh: Stefan Jäggi

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