A Ribbon of Windows Wraps This Concrete Cabin in Switzerland

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Project Details:

Location: Mendrisio, Switzerland

Architect: Celoria Architects / @celoria_architects

Footprint: 2,906 square feet

Builder: Pietro Calderari

Civil Engineer: Brenni Engineering

Lighting Design: P&P Studio Elettrotecnico

Photographer: Giorgia Marafioti

Photographer: Celoria Architects

From the Architects: "In the heart of the Tremona district, in the municipality of Mendrisio, a steep terrain provides the opportunity for a powerful architectural gesture. Here, a single-family home rises like a concrete monolith from the ground, blending in with the natural morphology of the soil.

"The project develops vertically, following the logic of the slope. At the base, the concrete plinth is immersed in the earth, housing the sleeping area and garage. The architectural body then opens upwards, culminating in a bright, open space that accommodates the living area: a domestic observatory facing the landscape.

"The living area on the upper level offers an uninterrupted view of the surrounding woods, relating to the forest to the east and creating a direct connection with a green area to the north. A continuous four-foot-high perimeter window forms a transparent ribbon that embraces the view, allowing light and silence to filter through.

"Inside this suspended volume, space flows seamlessly. The only exceptions within this fluid, continuous space are the small pantry area and the kitchen. Protecting this ethereal environment, a four-pitched roof rests on eight pillars, creating a section that varies between a height of four and eighteen feet in a play of proportions that enhances the sense of refuge and openness. The internal layout is organized around a vertical core: a staircase connecting the three levels which, rather than being a simple functional element, becomes a hinge between depth and lightness, between shadow and light.

"The house was born from the client's desire for a place of peace, where time expands between the pages of a book in front of the fireplace, and where she can welcome her children’s families during school holidays. The home is designed to provide silence and intimacy, while maintaining a strong connection with the landscape."