Holiday Home in Vitznau
Lischer Partner Architekten Planer AG, Switzerland
The clients’ desire was to live in a timber house. However, the challenging geology, the exceptional hillside location, and the existing environment prompted Lischer Partner Architekten Planer to design a solid construction in which the hard shell of the concrete façade encases and protects the soft core of the timber house. This combined use of wood, found in traditional Swiss mountain homes with a modern approach, earned the team the prestigious DETAIL Prize 2012.
The timber construction stands as “a house in a house.” In combination with the concrete shell, it was possible to optimize its load-bearing dimensions as it does not have to resist any shear forces.
The clear cubature anchors the house to the hillside. A bridge leads to an open courtyard with a garage and the entrance to the house. The family rooms, such as the dining and living rooms, are situated on the top floor. Two opposing staircases provide access to the bedrooms on the two lower floors. This feature creates a corridor through the structure, which leads to various rooms that vary in orientation and have different outlooks.
The air-blown concrete façade was executed in Wesen gravel that adopts the reddish color and graininess of the prominent rock face behind the house.
The entire wooden casing, including floors, walls, and the ceiling, is executed in larch wood block panels. The timber can also be seen from outside through the openings and recesses. Fixed glazing framed in larch emphasizes the impressive views of the Lake Lucerne landscape.
Dividing elements and island units, also in larch, were used to separate the main rooms. A structure with a coatroom and the rear side of the kitchen divides the area adjacent to the entrance. The living room is complemented by an element housing the fireplace and a media cabinet. Each bedroom contains an en-suite unit with a built-in clothes closet. As a result, this holiday home assumes the typology of a hotel room, creating a kind of private holiday hotel.
Originally appeared in Modus News 3
Lischer Partner Architekten Planer AG
Lischer Partner considers architecture as a collective process. Their designs are teamwork, transforming visions into architectural culture, creating spaces with light, material, and color. To complex questions, they find direct answers. Lischer Partner commits itself with passion to high-quality architecture. Each work process is accompanied accurately and honestly to the objective. Their openness provides surprising solutions, which have won them several awards and publications.
Daniel Lischer, to the left, is the proprietor of Lischer Partner Architekten Planer AG. Nicole Renggli-Frey, to the right, is the project leader.
Images by Lischer Partner Architekten, photographs by Roger Frei, Zurich
