- Year: 2008
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Photographs:Bruno Helbling
Text description provided by the architects. In a Zurich municipality, better known for its industrial and shopping facilities, nimmrichter cda compiled a study dealing with the long term development of a plot of land with an existing building on site. A comprehensive survey of various factors revealed the plot's development potential for the next generation. Competing against a modular house manufacturer, the unconventional design submitted by Rolf Nimmrichter's architecture office was awarded the commission.
The parameters of the design were determined by the desire for autonomy of form and materiality, as well as the new building's interaction with the house and pool already on the land. An existing pavilion, acting as pool and summer house, was demolished and replaced by a new volume.
The new building's form is a response to its position on the site, and the angled façade reflects the client's desire for living areas offering different degrees of openness or seclusion. The exterior is faced with horizontal, open-jointed cedar batten cladding, which further emphasises the geometry of the building.
The three-floor building's overall volume is 1, 000 m³. Garage and necessary storage and utility rooms are located in the basement. The open-plan ground floor comprises one large living, eating and cooking area, and there are three bedrooms and a recessed balcony on the upper floor.
The interior, also designed by nimmrichter cda, is defined by its core faced in chestnut wood, which encompasses the entrance hall, with cloakroom and externally-accessible guest toilet, and the staircase.
The box delineates the eating-living area and contrasts with the dark, rough concrete floor and the black kitchen elements.
The building is Minergie® certified, a registered quality label for low-energy buildings. The energy concept includes making use of the neighbouring house's existing heating system and using solar panels to heat water for both houses.
