Herzog & de Meuron
Project
1985
Realization
1986

The house’s site is part of a suburb of small plots, its basically rectangular outline rises from the street to a meadow that is as yet undeveloped. The visible volume of the house is a single-storey parallelepiped. It is made of precast concrete panels held in place by pine slats with a double pitched roof of black concrete tiles that come to rest on a perimeter reinforced-concrete wall. The latter is part of an enclosure that defines both the lower entry court as well as the upper grassed garden. Contained within the base are a garage and an exhibition space.

Continuing the theme of linear configurations seen in previous houses by Herzog & de Meuron, the circulation routes are more differentiated due to the presence of the gallery. The upper floor contains the suite of bedrooms, the wet areas and separate living rooms terminating either end. The spaces in between have a lower ceiling, which allows the house to be read as a singular volume.

The design engages the suburban qualities by restating the self-evident motif. The simple definitions of introverted court and extroverted garden are part of the long tradition of domestic design.
Herzog & de Meuron, 1997

034_CP_9708_700_HS
034_CP_9708_700_HS
034_CP_8605_513
034_CP_8605_513
034_CP_9708_701_FK
034_CP_9708_701_FK
034_CP_8605_500
034_CP_8605_500
034_CP_9708_701_HS
034_CP_9708_701_HS
034_CP_8605_514
034_CP_8605_514
034_CP_9708_700_MS
034_CP_9708_700_MS
034_CP_8605_502
034_CP_8605_502
034_CP_8605_504
034_CP_8605_504
034_CP_8605_505
034_CP_8605_505
034_CP_9708_701_MS
034_CP_9708_701_MS
034_CP_8605_511
034_CP_8605_511
034_CP_8605_507
034_CP_8605_507
034_CP_8605_510
034_CP_8605_510
034_CP_8605_508
034_CP_8605_508
034_CP_8605_509
034_CP_8605_509
034_CP_9708_700_FK
034_CP_9708_700_FK
034_CP_8605_506
034_CP_8605_506
034_CP_8605_501
034_CP_8605_501
034_CP_8605_503
034_CP_8605_503

Drawings

034_DR_8602_501_SITE
034_DR_8602_501_SITE
034_DR_8602_503_FLP_OG
034_DR_8602_503_FLP_OG
034_DR_8602_502_FLP_EG
034_DR_8602_502_FLP_EG
034_DR_8602_506_SECTION-3
034_DR_8602_506_SECTION-3
034_DR_8602_505_SECTION-2
034_DR_8602_505_SECTION-2
034_DR_8602_508
034_DR_8602_508
034_DR_8602_504_SECTION-1
034_DR_8602_504_SECTION-1
034_DR_8602_507
034_DR_8602_507

Team

Project Team
Annette Gigon (Project Architect)

Facts

Planning
Construction Management: Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
Structural Engineering: H. Gysin AG, Pratteln, Switzerland
Electrical Planning: Trinkler, Allschwil, Switzerland
Sanitary Planning: Ley, Oberwil, Switzerland
HVAC (Climate Control Design): Beat Heizmann, Basel, Switzerland
Building Data
Site Area: 10'225 sqft, 950 sqm
Gross floor area (GFA): 3'831 sqft, 356 sqm
Footprint: 2'185 sqft, 203 sqm
Gross volume (GV): 49'687 cbft, 1'407 cbm

Bibliography

Luis Fernández-Galiano (Ed.): “Arquitectura Viva. Herzog & de Meuron 1978-2007.” 2nd rev. ed. Madrid, Arquitectura Viva, 2007.

Fernando Márquez Cecilia, Richard Levene (Eds.): “El Croquis. Herzog & de Meuron 1981-2000. Between the Face and the Landscape. The Cunning of Cosmetics. Entre el Rostro y el Paisaje. La Astucia de la CosmĂ©tica.” 2nd adv. and rev. ed. Vol. No. 60+84, Madrid, El Croquis, 2005.

“Herzog & de Meuron. Natural History.” Edited by: Philip Ursprung. Exh. Cat. “Herzog & de Meuron. Archaeology of the Mind.” Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal. 23 October 2002 – 6 April 2003. 2nd ed. Baden, Lars MĂĽller, 2005.

Wilfried Wang: “Herzog & de Meuron.” 3rd adv. and rev. ed. Basel / Boston / Berlin, Birkhäuser, 1998. (= Studiopaperback).

Gerhard Mack, Herzog & de Meuron: “Herzog & de Meuron 1978-1988. Das Gesamtwerk. Band 1. The Complete Works. Volume 1.” Edited by: Gerhard Mack. Basel / Boston / Berlin, Birkhäuser, 1997. Vol. No. 1.