This family home designed by Lausanne-based Tempesta Tramparulo is perfectly oriented to take advantage of the breathtaking landscape in Grimisuat, Switzerland. Rather than building up, the architects took a linear approach and created a single-story home that gently integrates with its sloping site.

Defined by perforated larch wood cladding, and topped with a living roof, the home creates “a frame for its inhabitants that magnifies the positives of the site and eclipses the negatives,” explains the firm. This is evident in the home’s precisely placed openings, which establish a seamless relationship between the interior and the exterior.

On the northern side of the home, openings overlook the mountainous slope, while on the southern side, the panoramic view is enhanced by thoughtful framing. The minimalist interiors display a “high degree of craftsmanship,” which “culminates in the attention lavished on the sitting room library.”

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According to the architects, the sitting room best summarizes the spirit of the entire project: “In this room, the frank juxtaposition of a book collection with the view outside challenges the supposed dichotomy between nature and culture, implying that the coming together of opposites can be a prompt dialogue.”

Tempesta Tramparulo just received a 2019 Architecture Masterprize in Architectural Design / Residential Architecture for their work.

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Tempesta Tramparulo

Civil Engineer: INGEA, Lausanne

Landscape Design: Arbora Paysagistes

Interior Design: Tempesta Tramparulo

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A Green-Roofed Family Home Frames the Grandeur of the Swiss Alps