Insight

As part of a large, early 1980’s residential development in Zurich, the typology of this single-family home was characterized by low ceilings and small rooms. In a radical move, Nau2 proposed to replace the ground floor walls with two open trusses, transforming the compartmentalized interior into an airy multifunctional space, where living, dining and kitchen areas are visually connected while spatially defined.

The new floor plan responds to a new lifestyle: an open kitchen, a suspended fireplace and large sliding glass doors opening onto the garden. While the ground floor hosts the living areas, the bedrooms are located on the upper floor, where the original floor plan has been largely maintained. The reorganization on this level provides more intimacy for the sleeping areas, with a walk-in closet and an en suite bathroom in the master bedroom. The basement is refurbished as a multifunctional guest suite with a wine cellar and sauna. The stair is central to the design, acting as the strong vertical element connecting the different zones of the house with a sweeping gesture.

Structurally, the new concrete trusses reinforce the existing masonry construction and satisfy seismic norms. In utilizing a sustainable approach, the building envelope, in particular the wooden windows, has been updated in order to minimize energy consumption. The material and color palette throughout the house combines natural oak flooring, white walls and citrus green accents, conveying a fresh, modern living atmosphere.