Driving along the coast of Lake Geneva… you see a few houses (or shall we say manisons) you wouldn’t mind inheriting from that aunt you never heard of… but this house sticks out!

By Kaufmann Widrig Archtiects via designboom

the swiss architects kaufmann widrig designed ‘living house’ located on the southern side of lake geneva. the piece of land was originally an orchard in the grounds of the neighbouring villa. the plot is long and thin and its narrow side meets the shore of the lake.

the building is placed in amongst the shoreline boathouses and reflects their geometry and materials. it is also consistent with the pattern of boathouses and villas that exists along that part of lake geneva by not extending beyond the boundaries of the pre-existing structure.

the volume of the building and the internal organization are influenced by the topography, in particular, the south-sided exposure to the sun and the beautiful north-sided view of the lake.

the outside surface of the building is covered with thick panels of plain steel. the inside surface is covered with larch timber boards, giving the living space a warmth and cosiness. connected to the 2-storey living space, with its large windows looking out over the lake and light coming from the high south facing windows, are the dining area and a gallery with a small, but spectacular, study space. the development within the building is rich in light and space and allows one to experience the whole length and height of the building.