amrein herzig casts concrete house + studio in edlibach, switzerland

amrein herzig casts concrete house + studio in edlibach, switzerland
photo by lucas peters
all images courtesy of amrein herzig architekten

a concrete monolith emerges from a sloping grassy site in the village of edlibach, switzerland to house a family’s residence and studio. designed by architecture office amrein herzig with the title ‘mühlestrasse’, the structure infills the limits of its small buildable area, resulting in a cuboid form with one of its corners distorted away from orthogonal. large windows puncture the heavy mass to allow interior spaces open views to the outside, while a rooftop terrace provides a calm exterior area.

large windows puncture the heavy masses to allow interior spaces open views to the outside
photo by lucas peters

the house’s spatial arrangement is made of seemingly identical rooms across three floor levels. their specificity is derived from their window placement and thus orientation according to daylight, privacy, and views. while the fenestration acts as an expressive element on the outer façades, careful detailing conceals any appearance of the frames on the interior to allow for clarified connections to the outside.

like the exterior, the monolithic concrete materiality is expressed consistently on the interiors
photo by lucas peters

interior spaces bleed into one another
photos by lucas peters

the large windows’ frames are hidden from interior views
photo by lucas peters

an outdoor terrace is placed upon the roof
photo by lucas peters

photo by lucas peters

a driveway descends to access the garage level, which is partially submerged into the ground
photo by lucas peters

photo by lucas peters

shadows from trees cast shadows on the mass at night
photo by lucas peters

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