Single Family House in the Rhine Valley

Picture 1 - Living area on the ground floor | Picture 2 - Sleeping area on the lower level

The family was busy planning their own house for a long time. In Switzerland, however, building land is not common, and land is expensive in general. What would then be easier than a development in the parents’ garden? 

The parents’ hillside property is located in Au, a place not far from the Austrian border. Björn Lutze, of Bänziger Lutze Architektur, was responsible for the planning and implementation of the new building. He skilfully integrated the massive concrete structure with a façade of black steel in the sloping land. By shifting the two floors towards each other, the architect managed to create a varied space with a large amount of sunlight.

The open kitchen with a large dining table forms a new centre point for the house and the life of the family. The architect and the client invested particular effort in its design. They set wood as a contrast to the rough exposed concrete walls, complementing it with velvety linoleum on the cabinet surfaces. For the flooring, they chose the natural-oiled Formpark parquet. The displacement of the floors inside the buildings could also be bridged with different laying patterns. As the dimensions of the Formpark elements match those of standard formwork panels, the architect used this design feature to structure the ceilings in the rooms. Likewise, the architect and the client carefully planned all the materials used in the house. This has paid off, and the house has become a favourite meeting point for family and friends.