The single-family house is implanted in the Dynamic cross-border agglomeration, Greater Geneva, on the french side, on a plot of 400m2.

The main premise of our clients was based on projecting large, flexible spaces that are in contact with the external areas. However, these wishes were faced with some challenges: a tight budget and a small plot embedded between several houses.

The architectural response was to locate the house in the deepest part of the northern side of the plot to take advantage of the south side and capture the sun-rays while offering privacy on the east and west facades.

The morphological conformation of the house, a square of 10,20 m x 11,50 m, perfectly adapts to the plot. It is composed of a SIMPLE, COMPACT AND MINIMALIST volume. The villa takes on the spatiality of old farmhouses and becomes a contemporary reinterpretation of the latter, with large glass openings facing south, in order to maximize light and solar energy.

The organization of the program is conventional; the ground level consists of common areas and the first level of private spaces. The added value of this results from the double height and the very fluid communication between the interior and exterior areas thanks to the large windows on the full south side.

The constructive aspect is one of the most important developments of the project. Concrete walls with a thick layer of external thermal insulation were necessary for energy savings. The aesthetics were resolved with the utmost effort to achieve greater austerity. The treatment with a mineral plaster in a neutral light color and the black aluminum carpentry refer to both the traditional architecture of the area and the contemporary nature of the work.