Page 103 - AIT0324_E-Paper

Entwurf • Design Lacroix Chessex, CH-Genf
Grundriss Erdgeschoss • Ground floor plan
Grundriss Obergeschoss • Upper floor plan
Grundriss Dachgeschoss • Attic floor plan
Bauherr • Client Privat
Standort • Location CH-Vésenaz
Nutzfläche • Floor space 362 m 2
Fotos • Photos Olivier di Giambattista, CH-Genf
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More info on page 134
SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSE
IN VÉSENAZ
Activating the existing building and making it fit for
the future – this is what Lacroix Chessex architects did
with caution and power. On the street side, the house
retains its local character, while the two-storey exten-
sion on the garden side – with a view of Lake Geneva
– brings width into the depths of the space. The result
is a warm, light-filled retreat with a dual character.
S ituated in Vésenaz, a village in the municipality of Collonge-Belleri-
ve, the house is just a few minutes from the centre of Geneva. The
strip-shaped plot is typical of plots in the area, has a surface area of
464 square metres and measures 60 metres in length and eight metres
in width. The plot, which slopes down a considerable eight metres
from south-east to north-west, offers an unobstructed view of the lake
and the densely wooded slopes of the Jura mountains from the highest
point. The street-side façade is part of a diverse, historically evolved
street, the two very different neighbouring buildings nestle close tog-
ether and yet the house at 159 Route de la Capite appears to be com-
pletely self-sufficient. With the two-storey extension on the garden side,
the house not only gains living space, but also light elegance in delicate
tones. Formerly rather disparate and unattractive, the garden face of
the house has undergone cosmetic surgery and the extension has trans-
formed it into a radiant and openly friendly personality. In the existing
three-storey building, on the other hand, which has been refurbished
with subtle measures, the maturity and characteristics of its structural
origins remain perceptible. The old and the new combine naturally,
there is no spatial disruption, no artificiality, even if the threshold to
the new world remains perceptible. The space and its elements always
accompany and guide its inhabitants in a continuous manner. On the
ground floor, the wooden-beam ceiling runs from old to new, but the
one step that exists at the joint continues to be a noticeable reminder
of the juncture. Materials and colours are used homogeneously throug-
hout the house, while specific features such as the folding construction
of the existing roof are proof that attention was paid to craftsmanship
in the course of the renovation. Although Lacroix Chessex architects
are fortunately no longer alone in this noticeably appreciative attitu-
de towards the existing building and its inherent stories, it cannot be
emphasized sufficiently that the question of how living space, which is
badly lacking throughout Europe, can be created in a climate-friendly
way can only be answered by activating an already existing building.
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