Andrew Burges Architects

Sing House Vitznau

Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet

Sing House Vitznau

Gole GmbH

ARCHITECTS
Gole GmbH

MANUFACTURERS
Flexform, Horgenglarus, Boffi, Muller, Nils Holger Moormann, Schueco

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Igor Gole

PHOTOGRAPHS
Damian Poffet

AREA
180 M²

YEAR
2014

LOCATION
Vitznau, Switzerland

CATEOGRY
Houses

Text description provided by architect.

As a rule, an architecture firm asks itself the question: Who are we building for? At Gole, we prefer to ask: Why are we building?

Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet
Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet

The Lucerne community of Vitznau chose the slogan "heavenly beautiful" for itself. Here, on the slopes of Mount Rigi and on the shores of Lake Lucerne, the climate is so ideal that wine and palm trees grow side by side.

And here, in the case of this residential house, in 2012 Igor Gole tried to create a little paradise in paradise.

Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet
Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet

But the task was less heavenly because his client was perhaps the most difficult there is: himself.

These are the big questions in life that you have to ask yourself when considering building your own house. Why build?

Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet
Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet

Why not remodel or renovate or emigrate? And the answer ultimately lay in what we do every day: in architecture itself.

Because we say: "Architecture is a question of courage."

Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet
Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet

The Monument of Courage is a diamond in the rough that is left raw to show all its beauty.

The floor and walls are made of polished concrete, plastering is avoided: unnecessary. Radiators: unnecessary. Fitted kitchen: unnecessary.

Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet
Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet
Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet

A free-standing chrome steel workbench and two separate wooden cabinets are sufficient. Courage here also means reduction to the essentials.

The floor heating was inserted directly into the concrete.

The entire building, the entire mass of concrete, radiates heat - including the walls.

Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet
Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet
Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet

The flow temperature is only 28 ° C. No underlay, no silicone joints, and ultimately no gray energy.

In between, everything was kept consistently transparent: stairs and intermediate floors made of glass, floor-to-ceiling window fronts, a glass bathroom.

Showing life, but not to show visitors or neighbors anything, but to show that reduction does not have to mean sacrificing something, yet making room for development.

Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet
Sing House Vitznau
© Damian Poffet


Sing House Vitznau
Elevation 01
Sing House Vitznau
Elevation 02


Sing House Vitznau
Ground floor plan
Sing House Vitznau
1st floor plan
Sing House Vitznau
2nd floor plan
Sing House Vitznau
Section

Andrew Burges Architects
T +61 2 93317433 F +61 2 93317488
Andrew Burges Architects
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