Feldbalz is a new home overlooking Lake Zurich designed by Swiss architect Gus Wüstemann.
The three-storey house includes space for children on the ground floor, which leads to the garden, family living rooms on the first floor and the parents’ rooms at the top of the house.
A concrete path connects the garden with the house, bordering a swimming pool.
Photographs by Bruno Helbing.
See Wüstemann’s Melon District project in our earlier story.
Here’s some info from Wüstemann:
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Feldbalz
It’s not a house but a family sculpture looking for freedom and social interaction.
Family life / public life
We created the sculpture that contains the family life, where everybody meets and circulates on the first floor, where you have a great view over the lake of Zurich. This sculpture separates the parent’s area which is on top of the sculpture and the children’s area which lies underneath.
The children live in the garden where everything is white, like in a Greek village; happy, but protected by the family sculpture. There is the access to the garden and the pool, the playing, active area.
The main living area is connected to the garden by a concrete garden sculpture, which is a tribune with a great view, to rest and have a drink with friends. This social hub has water in a hole, that’s where the swimming pool is.
Intimacy and eternal views in a suburban context
There is a common problem of the nowadays residential projects in a suburban or urban context, regarding the use of windows and the unthought-of overuse of glass. So often the result are views into private areas, which therefore one has to cover up with blinds or other protections.
We used a simple technique: all the facades towards the neighbours are made out of translucent polycarbonate (scobalit); to the east we created an interior, private courtyard; and to the south we put sliding screens.
One can open those screens and park them behind the fire place and behind the stairs. The result is an opening with no frames or other boring boarders of 11 meters. You literally live outside.
The whole construction rests on the volume of the fireplace, an element of content and emotion.
Program-free architecture
All elements are free of program. The kitchen is a block you unfold to cook, the shower is behind a light sculpture you can open. There are no walls or recognisable architectural elements; you are either in the public figure, above it or underneath it. Different sculptures unfold to create rooms or other things you need like kitchen, bathroom or bedroom.
The use of the translucent scobalit façade gives us the ability to make it look more sculptural and in the evening it is very warm and welcoming without giving up privacy.
We were looking for a sculpture or figure which frees the ‘building’ of the normally so obviously recognizable building regulations and free the living space of the context of a family house.
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Posted by Rose Etherington
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
An impressive work, but I don’t think I would be comfortable without a physical demarcation between the animal/insect world and my living room.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:14 pm
what a lovely house design; looks so modern and classic at the same time
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:21 pm
I could live there in a heartbeat.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:34 pm
there is no living room, you fool! only skulpture! pretty damn gorgeous design and another winner in switzerland. though it could be anywhere… some plans and sections would help this post enormously.
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:27 pm
the views amazing
but you couldn’t really walk around the house in the buff tho
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:33 pm
” …family living rooms on the first floor… ”
Somebody can’t read!
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Edward, all the insects in Switzerland are friendly.
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Excellent work!
The succesfull interaction of outside and inside resolves the limits of the living space. The sculptures leads to the outside area which reflects the settings of a vital urban scenery and invites people to hang around. Rarely seen in countries like switzerland…
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
CLEAN AND Beautiful.. love the ode to corbusier! what views. Great stair simple details and no railings.
July 22nd, 2008 at 6:54 pm
amazing work!! it s a dream house !! BRAVOOOO
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Sexy, sexy, sexy.
The detail work is amazing, and looks simple, yet difficult to execute.
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:54 pm
You have too much money. Let me know how having the children two floors below the parents works out. At least you’ll be thin.
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:55 pm
A clear example of Swiss architecture
…… supersimple and superexpensive
prefer it like a “machine” to catch the landscape view than an “sculpture” to be seen from outside or to live into
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Details, Le Corbusier??????? The distinguishing feature is its utter lack of detail. Minimalism par excellence!
July 22nd, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Dear edward, minimalism is definitely NOT lack of detail. I bet this house has a detail manual the size of your yellow pages, yet appears to do everything so detail-less…
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:55 am
creative, so cute, dream house. God is in every details
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:12 am
Excellent work, Gus! Love it! if there is anyone who doesn’t want to live in - is eather a lyar or knows that he/she can never ever afford it….;)
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:47 am
beautiful house, thats i call design
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:17 am
it is very beautiful work .
I hope that I live in a simple house like this house .
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:27 am
details
god is in the details
its so orgasmic - it is par excellance!!! when will those fools all realise!
oh le corbusier take me
my mind reels
i love the ode to mie van der rohe with the his and her’s sinks
brilliant
ps. how many people will break their nose on the endless metres of transparent glass?
my mum once did that at a kwik save
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:28 am
to be honest the kwik save wasn’t as beautiful
and i don’t think it was quite as expensive
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:41 am
its good in detail and in component, but it does not have ‘macro’ form
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:26 am
Upon further reflection, rather ponderous in its lack of fine detail and thick elements. Very Swiss I expect.
July 24th, 2008 at 4:10 am
well, have to say a BIG WOW!!! loved it… tri-bravos!!!!!
July 24th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Gus,
M A R A V I L H O S A!!!!!!!!!
Uma bela amostragem da integração com a paisagem na dose perfeita da arquitetura.
Parabéns.
SP 24/07/2008
JCC Olzon
Arquiteto
July 24th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
A new copy mies´s tughendat hause.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Mies’ s Tugendhat House?, please no comparisons with that elegantly detailed and sumptuously appointed masterpiece.
July 28th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Lo encuentro fantástico. Me encanta la implantación en el terreno y como aprovechas las vistas tan esplendidas. Los detalles son aparentamente sencillos pero muy elaborados. Te felicito y espero que tus clientes lo sepan disfrutar.