This project, a private commission, consisted of developing a building with compact accommodation on a plot of 234 m² in the heart of Geneva, fifty metres from the lake. Its ambiguous position between the courtyard and corner of the block imbues the project with an urban as well as a landscape-oriented character. Furthermore, stringent regulations limited the land to building ratio and required façades with windowless gables around the courtyard. The result is a complex volumetric structure, whereby the first two floors benefit from the full depth of the plot; the upper four floors are recessed four metres from the courtyard. On the western side, a bow window and extra attic-level height exploit the final loopholes in the regulations and enrich the volumetric composition of the ensemble.
The various apartments make the most of the volumetric potential on each level through spacious common areas designed to offer views over the lake to the east and the sunset to the west. Indoor patios ventilate the entire depth of the loft apartment on the first floor and provide roof access to the maisonette loft apartment.
Made of prefabricated acid-treated concrete elements, the structural framework lends an abstract character to the whole, harmonising the firewalls within a comprehensive, tectonic unit.
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