House with a Curtain | Grabs, Switzerland | 2019-2021
[Allen + Crippa]
During our studies at ETH, we were asked to design a single-family house and won the competition against two other offices. At that time, we had neither an office nor experience in construction so we asked a local architectural firm, Berger & Partner AG, for support in the implementation.
At the beginning we experimented with different hybrid constructions and load-bearing systems in order to generate enough storage mass for the warm summer days on the one hand and to achieve a slim wall structure on the other. The result is a load-bearing skeleton structure made of concrete with prefabricated wooden elements as exterior walls and a stretched textile façade as weather protection.
The cantilevered floor slabs with external curtains provide additional sun protection and create a private outdoor area. A spout stages the drainage of the large roof areas and fills a well that can be used to irrigate the garden.
The building is three stories with a basement and consists of three identical floor plans with a serving area in the back house and a served area in the front house. The partition walls are designed as built-in furniture to allow for subsequent adaptation and to create as much storage space as possible. Text description by the architects.
Source: allencrippa.com
Photography by: Charly Jolliet + Ronan Crippa
