Concrete home climbs up small, sloping site in Switzerland

There’s something satisfying about a well-designed concrete home. Whether it’s the material’s bold solidity or the way it molds into many forms, concrete is king. For Savièse House, created by Swiss firm Anako Architecture, the texture of the raw concrete adds a rough, stone-like beauty to the building’s clean geometric lines.

For this project in the southwest Switzerland town of Savièse, the architects had to design on a small, slightly sloped suburban lot surrounded by other abodes. To increase the home’s privacy, they envisioned an almost fortress-like outer wall surrounding three interior courtyards. These open spaces as well as a full glass wall on the south face of the building let in ample light and views of the mountains.

Flowing downhill as a single structure, the home has its entrance at street-level with three successive “half levels” delineating the entrance, sleeping areas, and main living spaces. The surprising abundance of interior glass provides a light contrast to the heaviness of the primary concrete walls. The architects considered the home’s roof to be a “fifth facade” and covered it with gravel to match all the concrete.

Via: World Architecture