meier + associés architectes

Constructed on a plot at the edge of Geneva’s agricultural belt, this project seeks to reconcile the landscape with the surrounding buildings. These buildings consist of a 1970s development of modern houses, and some more recent “traditional” houses. The sculptural form of the villa resembles a piece of Land Art that attests to the dichotomy between geometry and nature.

The scheme calls for two separate accommodation units within the same building: the first for a family, and the second, smaller unit, for a single parent. The villa’s relatively complex typology is reflected in its form. At the ground floor level, the living rooms are contained in a basic square footprint with several “raised” sections – patio, courtyard and covered area – that optimises the “depth of field” of this space. The two narrow upper floors offer framed views over the surrounding countryside, and house the bedrooms for parents and children.

The tectonic presence of the exposed reinforced concrete construction demonstrates the static load needed to achieve the sculptural form of the villa. The external elements are executed in glass, aluminium and natural wood. Sliding opalescent glass panels allow the living spaces to be modular and adaptable, thereby controlling the relationship between the two accommodation units.