Aug 5, 2010
Article/photographs courtesy of Duravit (info@duravit.de)
High-tech living in a traditional mantle in Switzerland
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Intelligent solutions: Modern living is possible in traditional settings.
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The Swiss landscape around Lake Constance offers attractive panoramic views with gentle hills, lakes and rivers. Loosely-knit networks of isolated settlements and farmsteads situated on the sides of the hills are typical of the region. Due to the distance from the towns and the restrictive building regulations (the region is outside the zoning area), more and more of these farmsteads are now deserted and falling into disrepair.
Dr Andreas Bänziger was born close by and wanted to buck this trend with intelligent solutions, demonstrating that modern living is also possible in traditional settings. His grandparents’ farm that had once stood in the village of Rehetobel burnt down a few years ago. He used traditional techniques to build a modern house on exactly the same spot where the farmhouse once stood. The new house is made of wood and has the same silhouette as the original building with open structures and the very latest in modern comforts.
Typical wooden architecture of the region
The new building has the same external dimensions as the original building and adjoining stable. The farmhouse with its gable roof is typical of Eastern Switzerland. As the house had previously been extended on the mountain side, the roof has a curb and continues at a flatter angle. The front aspect at the south of the house consists of a traditional wood panelled façade with lots of moderately-sized windows that are typical of the region and that are arranged within the façade grid.
Feeling of space
Anyone entering the house from the small front forecourt with pond will be surprised by the brightness and spaciousness of the house since this is not immediately apparent from the outside. As this was a new building, the building owner was able to work freely within the approved building limits without having to take account of existing supporting walls. The hillside location is also advantageous as the building is designed as a large split-level house, allowing unobstructed views, both of the interior and exterior, thereby visually offsetting the low ceiling height. The entrance area between the house and stable features a façade made of wood and glass. It echoes the grid of the wood strip cladding and was thus acceptable to the building authorities.
With its open staircase, it extends up as far as the roof. The guest bedrooms, sauna, shower and adjoining room are located at entrance level. The stable where the garage is located is half a flight of stairs lower, and the dining and kitchen area is a further half a flight of stairs higher in the farmhouse. The living area located above the garage is surprisingly bright. The strip cladding structure of the façade conceals more windows than are immediately apparent. The space extends into the roof and offers a clear view of the sleeping area up in the loft.
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The beautiful and spacious interior: One will be surprised by the brightness and spaciousness of the house which is not
immediately apparent from the outside.
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Fine design with clear lines
The building’s owner loves simplicity – straight lines, a reduced number of materials and a minimalist design. The house is clearly made exclusively of wood – walls, ceiling, and floors. This is complemented only by large amounts of dark Italian natural slate as a surface material. It is used as a floor covering in the kitchen. The cabinet surfaces and worktops are in the same dark shade, as are the counters leading into the dining room.
Everything seems to have been cast from a single mould. The clear lines continue in the bathrooms: natural slate for the walls and floor, together with the minimalist design of Philipp Starck. The bathroom in the loft is part of the sleeping area and has views in both directions. The bathroom furniture is just as attractive. The Starck X double furniture washbasin stands in the centre of the bathroom on two steel posts. Behind this, separated by a glass wall, a chromed shower panel is positioned above a Starck shower tray. The large Starck X bathtub stands under the slanting roof.
The all-round water channel is filled with granite stones and separates the bathtub from the slate floor. When the underwater spotlights and the spotlights behind the beam are illuminated, taking a bath becomes an impressive and relaxing experience. The toilet, also from the Starck X range, is concealed discreetly behind a filigree chrome steel partition. The tap fittings are also the work of Philippe Starck. They are, of course, sensor-controlled and, like all the technology in the house, not just state-of-the-art but, in part, also pioneering and prototypes.
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| Simplicity at its best: With a minimalist design, the house is clearly made exclusively of wood – walls, ceiling, and floors. |
Low-energy technology of the future
The entire house – from the solar system on the zinc roof to the toilet flush – is controlled via a home server that can also be operated via the Internet when not at home. For example, because the house is not occupied all of the time and the toilet is flushed with spring water, there is a risk of algae growth. A special sensor system ensures that the flush is activated every 24 hours when no-one is at home. The lights, heating, error and operating message display, the home entertainment and even the wooden window shutters are all controlled in the same way.
Every appliance in the house can be activated via the central control and faults can be identified immediately. If the fridge is not cooling or if the bath is about to overflow... In this way, the sustainable house can be operated extremely energy efficiently. Resources are only used where actually required – the system has everything under control and yet remains discreetly in the background.
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