House in Zurich

Building restrictions limited the space upon which to build this new house (replacing an older one). The architects responded with a compact, four-storey volume, distinctively sculptural in character. Sections were carved out of the basic cube shape to create a driveway, a covered seating area and a roof terrace. The solidity of the outer skin of dark-grey in-situ concrete, with only a few carefully placed openings, underlines the sculptural impression. Black pigments in the concrete create varying reflections on the surface, an effect enhanced by the fine, textured finish achieved by hand-dressing. This is contrasted by the hollowed-out sections with their smooth surfaces and lighter colour.