Teufenthal is an anonymous village in the German speaking part of Switzerland, embedded in the low-density sprawl connecting Basel, Lucerne and Zurich. At the same time, it is immersed in the distinctive hilly landscape of the Swiss pre-Alps: gently sloping cultivated fields, scattered coniferous woods and pseudo-alpine architectures are part of its deeply man-altered context.
At the threshold of the village, Gautschi Lenzin Schenker Architekter, a local firm based in the nearby town of Aarau, has recently completed a family home which clearly sets itself apart from its surroundings.
Amongst countless typical pitched roofs houses, GLS’s building stands out as a compact block, an abstract milestone nestled inside its parcel.
Each detail is implemented either to highlight the purity of this simple volume – such as the solid, three-dimensional wooden window frames, which set back and line up with the inner wall – or to define slight variations on its surface – all exterior elevations show a similar shade of grey, but a closer look will reveal the difference between the fair faced concrete partitions and the rough texture of the traditional trowel plaster.
Designed as the residence for many generations of the same family, on the ground floor the house hosts a built-in apartment with autonomous entrance for the grandparents, as well as the grandchildren’s bedrooms. The other rooms of the main house are located on the upper level, where the living areas open up on a large outdoor terrace.
- Project:
- family house
- Location:
- Teufenthal, Switzerland
- Architects:
- Gautschi Lenzin Schenker Architekten
- Engineer:
- Konstruktiv GmbH Ingenieure und Planer
- Clients:
- K.+R. Lendenmann
- Completion:
- 2018