SWISS HOUSE XXXIV, Galbisio, Switzerland

Our design is an articulated construction meant for the enjoyment of the spaces for many years to come.

From afar the building is a marker in the landscape, it expresses a meaning already suggested by its context. From close up, it is a collection of many things and from within, a world, that changes with the passing of the hours of the day and the days of the year.

The design is like a constellation of points, each one’s luminosity defining our priorities, corresponding to the ambitions of those who live within it and is an interpretation of the spaces that embrace the joys of life.

We have built a place for the present that projects back into memory and forward into the future: the memory of pristine landscapes where the buildings of local stone had to resist until eternity, protecting the inhabitants; when gestures were used sparingly in order to concentrate strength. Now, they respond to a different perception, perhaps more evolved, to adapt to the speed of life.

However, the ultimate goal of a space remains as giving comfort to its inhabitant. This for us represents the drive towards the future; working to improve the quality of life and creating a place of positive energy, where man is the protagonist in finding his way to become a better person.

The construction is used as a primary dwelling. It is designed as a volume enclosed by a set of concrete sects. Beginning as a cube and a square plan, these concrete blades are shifted three dimensionally to open the space up to the Alpine landscape, while maintaining privacy. It protects the inhabitants from visual collisions with the neighbours yet is generous in its prospect, the borrowed landscape becoming part of daily life.

The concrete blades evoke the idea of terracing and retaining walls, common in this region, that at times lift up off the ground, revealing the entrance porch and the west bedroom.

The plan of the house is staggered by a mid level floor, allowing the house adhere to the gentle slope of the land. To the south, a double stair system brings us to the terraces of the kitchen and the living room. This aspect underlines the importance of the relationship between this new presence and the traditional stone constructions of the region where the external stairs offered access to the upper floor level. This system also reinforces the perception of a terraced structure in the landscape.

The cube, the primal element of this new organism in which to live, is the place of calm and the fulcrum of the hill. Its concrete blades are fragments, broken off from the medieval castle walls of Bellinzona. It is our ideal home, an enclosure that opens up to the context and breathes it in, making us part of these wonderful surroundings.

The space dilates across diverse horizons, in different directions, all intended by the design, and by the nearby details, like the tree or the vines of the neighbours’ gardens.

Architecture takes its roots from the place in which it is born and defines the time that runs in our senses. It changes and grows with us. It outlast us and we gift it to the future. Every house built with love will never stop surprising us, helping us and growing with us and those who will follow us.

 

Davide Macullo April 2017

Swiss House Rossa represents the constant commitment to build in the respect of places, to give a meaning to our every gesture to help our understanding of civilization.

It is a work of integration between art and architecture, a habitable sculpture and an architecture that needs art to be completed, also from the profile of its primary function, that of protecting man from the bad weather.

Daniel Buren involved him because during the years of our formation, through his recognizable signs, he taught us the pleasure to the synthesis in observing the beauty of nature. Today we have a permanent work in the heart of the Swiss Alps.

We enter this space, fabricated by the place: a fantastic environment, yet real. So right, as we want the world to be.

the Calanca Valley, when you go there you forget things as you know them. The way to get to the bottom is short, but it is a long journey a lifetime.

Once inside, the valley closes, front opens the door of dreams.

Rocky walls, forests, fields are soft, undated, the work of centuries of men and women, heats us. The rock tells us, the story of the Birth of the Earth, and how much it had to move, to give us this lucky place.

Rossa is a place of memory where simplicity is made civility. Our task is to continue this art of love for the territory through humble but indelible gestures. It is a village in the Swiss Alps at 1100 meters of altitude almost at the end of the valley, where nature expresses itself by prevaricating the will of human beings and helps them to relativize their presence in the world.

Building In this context means following the signs of the past in their essence, of the peace of a place that catalyzes energies difficult to describe. The apparent urban simplicity of the place is a complex weave of balances between men and stones used to build their own habitat.

Nothing here is new. Each object is devoured and amalgamated by history and nature and where it still resists the commodification of the territory both physical and spiritual.

Swiss House stands spatially along a line of volumes of patrician houses that form a conglomerate around the village church. With the new volume we underline this axis both in a physical way (resumption of the “patrician” volume) and conceptual (affirmation of a will beyond our permanence).

The cross in vertical projection, the rounding of the edges and the simple twist of the roof make dynamic and revisit the archetype of the “house”. The one designed by the children: two vertical lines, two diagonal flaps, holes to let the light in. It’s the same thing-house, but completely different.

It is the archetype reinvented to testify that the reasons for doing are inexhaustible and that the buildings are our public art, as well as the nature that surrounds us is not always the same, but changes and assumes new meanings depending on how we observe it.

 

It is a fence that defines a dynamic space. The points of view and the penetrations of light work on the perception of time, from the absence to the speed of instantaneous scrolling of the images. It’s an uninterrupted line of emotions. Each opening is calibrated and oriented on glimpses of the chosen landscape. Every point of view is different and every breath of the landscape suggests different things.

The buried parts are in reinforced concrete, the upper volume entirely in wood, without interpreting the traditional type of construction of the Alps, but using it as it is.

Swiss House XXII, Preonzo, Switzerland

This building is a small construction that takes on a universal meaning; creating a relationship between the DNA of a place and its future and represents a contemporary interpretation of the historical values of a place.

The project site lies in the area of urban expansion at the limit of the countryside, north of the historical centre of the village of Preonzo in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. This rich Alpine context is dotted by traditional stone volumes, where animals were once housed on the ground floor and families lived above and are testament to the history of this once farming community. Our original building was one of these vernacular volumes. Recognising the significance of preserving the historical memory, the design retains this original modest volume (now the full height living room) and respects its scale. The client’s need for a larger habitable space resulted in the addition of two new volumes that work in dialogue with the existing in terms of their character and scale, creating a new equilibrium generated from the historical context but interpreted with a contemporary language.

The roofline game of inclined planes that appear as a series of three traditional roofs, becomes a surrealist landscape. The inclined areas suddenly disappear from view and one does not have a clear perception of the space until one enters inside. The importance of the roof is underlined through the simple pleasure of an unexpected perception.

The materials used in the construction emphasise this relationship. The old buildings were built completely in stone and appear as compact volumes. The new buildings mirror this compactness by an homogenous finish on the exterior and interior surfaces.

The openings on the East of the house are the reflection of the flower beds laid out on the ground below. The spaces made by the three volumes create a positive-negative effect on the facade; one projected, one carved out, with the sky as roof.

Every space has been precisely drawn but flows easily into the next, creating a dynamic effect of dilation/compression. . The openings on the various levels offer diverse beautiful views out across the surrounding landscape. From the same space, one can see the agricultural fields, an ancient monastery, low mountains in the distance and the characteristic peaks of the Swiss Alps.

05. House BB / Arogno / 2012 – 2016

The typology is that of a court house, spatiality that is found in the houses of the adjacent core, interpreted in a contemporary key as a response to the situation of proximity to a road, to a view that does not play a fundamental role and to the need for intimacy part of the clients. The few openings towards the outside frame scraps of landscape and take them inside the house; the inner courtyard merges between exterior and court space in a spatial continuum. This type of internal patio construction is in analogy with those found in the nearby historical center of the country. The surface of the ground floor is substantially divided in equal parts between internal rooms and the courtyard partially covered: this decision underlines the great importance of this environment that is able to connect spatially and visually all the rooms of the house. Both on the ground and on the first floor there are two large windows overlooking the internal courtyard, the windows on the facade open the kitchen and the living room on the surrounding landscape of the vineyards.

VILLA LUCCHINI – ARASIO (COLLINA D’ORO) – YEAR 2017

COLLINA D’ORO
The enchanting natural landscape, the panoramic view on the shores of the Ceresio and the Ticino pre-Alps, the temperate climate and tranquillity, have made Collina d’oro a well-known dwelling place for prominent personalities such as Hermann Hesse, Bruno Walter and Marx Horkheimer. At the foot of the hill and placed on the West Bank, lies the small nucleus of arasio.

VILLA LUCCHINI
Realized in the nucleus of Arasio around 1750 by the engineer Pasquale Lucchini, well-known designer of the dam Bridge of Melide, is initially used as a private residence. The main characteristic of the Villa is the lengthening form that creates a firm territorial element that divides the ancient nucleus of Arasio from the most recent residential area. The two facades are therefore of great importance: the South front, well protected, overlooks the historical square of the village, the north front, with its loggia typical of the Ticinese lacustrine architecture, becomes protagonist of the park still today Preserved and an integral part of the Villa.

The project
Main project thought was the preservation of the peculiarities of the secular structure of the Villa, preserving the elements of uniqueness including the typology with central staircase, the slabs with massive beams in chestnut and the loggia on the north front. All the more trying to combine the preservation of the ancient with the insertion of modern elements to guarantee the living standards today.
The entrance to the Villa was kept on the south front to enhance the square of the nucleus, as a centre of exchange and interaction between the inhabitants. Inside the Villa were created four duplex apartments with views of the nucleus and the park, two of which can also use the view of the lake. In addition, in order to preserve the park, it was decided to hide the stands by creating an underground garage and accessible through a montaveggi placed in the Stallino of the Villa, on the edge of the park. The pedestrian street placed above the stone wall of the park, takes on the characteristics of a panoramic walk of connection between the nucleus and the most recent residential area.

VILLA IN MONTAGNOLA – (COLLINA D’ORO) – YEAR 2018

COLLINA D’ORO
The enchanting natural landscape, the panoramic view on the shores of the Ceresio and the Ticino pre-Alps, the temperate climate and tranquillity, have made Collina d’oro a well-known dwelling place for prominent personalities such as Hermann Hesse, Bruno Walter and Marx Horkheimer. At the foot of the hill and situated on the east bank, lies the historical nucleus of Montagnola.

The context
It is a pleasant sensation that one perceives walking along Ra Cürta, historical Street of the nucleus of Montagnola that, passing from the literary café, leads to the Piazzetta of Villa Camuzzi, the favourite dwelling of Hermann Hesse. This square is full of meanings to mark the boundary between the nucleus of Montagnola and the Belvedere that overlooks the lake of Lugano.

The project
The project area is located between the historical nucleus and the most recent residential area. The historical part, placed upstream of Villa Camuzzi and bordering with its old Stallino, has been restructured and inside it is located the entrance to the property, characterized by the typology at court. The atrium with the double-height corridor is the protagonist of the intersection of old and new spaces. The old part, which houses the sleeping area, maintains the peculiarities of the ancient structures, including the roof and the vertical openings. The new part rises from the ground exalting the horizontality of the concrete elements and making possible the large glass openings.
The relationship with the external spaces is the protagonist in the project idea. Upstream, a corner window creates a Zen garden where the type of ortus conclusus guarantees intimacy. Downstream, the large windows of the living room and the rooms reserve a direct relationship with the garden but also a panoramic view of the lake and the embattled tower of Villa Camuzzi.

Heightening
ORIGLIO

Project 2014 -Realisation 2015-2016

OBJECT AND PLACE
Located in the hamlet of Carnago in the commune of Origlio, the plot and the existing building border the west with the forest and to the east by the cantonal road, from which you have access to the property.
The extension and elevation of the existing building examines the entire volume and redefines its shape and proportions, unifying the old and the new through design choices and the use of a single covering material.
The project, strongly bound by the distance from the forest and the existing volume, is characterized by a pitched roof with several slopes that defines the volume, the path and the internal spatial hierarchy.

CONTENTS
The path starts from the new extension to the north containing the staircase that guarantees access to the new living spaces and the first level; the particular shape of the roof accompanies the user along a path that first discovers the living room in double height and then continues upwards, towards the light, and concludes on a higher level with the dining room, the kitchen and, on the outside, with a large terrace.
On the first floor, in addition to the living room, are the sleeping areas with their children’s rooms, the parents’ master bedroom and, in the center, a common service and laundry.

The extension is entirely made of prefabricated wood with a mineral finish.

Single Family house
TORRICELLA TAVERNE

Design 2012 – Realisation 2013-2014

OBJECT AND PLACE
Located in the residential area of Torricella, the small parcel of 360 sqm facing south-east is characterized by a steep slope in the upper part of the bottom, bordering the municipal road, where access is foreseen. The project envisages a single compact volume distributed on three levels; A visible reinforced concrete monolith with OSB Formworks and a double-pitched roof in reinforced concrete; The external rooms are made with armed lands planted with green so as to highlight the volume of the building.

CONTENTS
At the highest level is organized the main entrance and the garage; The geometry and the shape of the flaps spatially lead the user through the corridor towards the double height and to the staircase leading to the living spaces. A storage room, a wardrobe and the studio house conclude the spaces of this floor.
On the ground floor a double height hosts the living room, communicating with the lunch and the kitchen. Separate we find the service spaces such as the pantry and a guest service. From lunch you can access the outside terrace.
In the lower part of the house are organized the spaces dedicated to the night, a double bedroom with wardrobe and WC shower, two single rooms, a bathroom and a small laundry. Next to the building, partially underground, there is a space dedicated to the storage of tools for the garden and the technical premises.

Single Family house
CAPRIASCA BIGORIO

Design 2011 – Realisation 2012-2013

OBJECT AND PLACE
Located in the countryside of the village of Bigorio, the land is exposed to the south-east and is accessible from the municipal road, from which pedestrian and vehicular access is guaranteed.
The project exploits the difference in height between the road and the natural ground level to create a large garage and internal underground service access; above these, an outdoor patio is obtained, while the two-storey volume defines the living spaces, more backward. Two materials characterize the project; the reinforced concrete for the underground volume and the external arrangements and the facing brick for the home.

CONTENTS
An open space on the ground floor houses the living room, the dining room, the kitchen with pantry, located at a lower level than the entrance hall. Separated are the service areas such as the wardrobe and a guest service. From the living room a large window defines the physical limit between the internal space and the outdoor patio, the latter partly used as a terrace and a natural continuation of the living room.
A comfortable staircase leads to the first floor and to the distribution area of ​​the sleeping area connected by double height to the entrance hall. Separate the master spaces with the master bedroom, wardrobe and bathroom, two single bedrooms, a toilet, a shower and a laundry complete the spaces of this floor.
At the back of the house a partially buried volume occupies the technical spaces and those serving the garden.