Simply put, our concept for Auf Mont 43 is a hollow concrete block set into and over the hillside, orientated to capture the spectacular views over the surrounding countryside. From the outside, it appears as a mysterious, solid and impenetrable mass. Views of tree tops coming through the block hint at what lies beyond and it is only as you pass under the front cantilever towards the main entrance that the warm, light filled heart of the building is exposed.
The buildings plan is conceived as a flexible pattern or weave of built and unbuilt spaces stitched together by a central route created by two offset geometries. This is achieved by a simple ‘twist’ in plan which is then used to define this main circulation or processional route. The buildings main spaces and volumes are then hung off this fault line which terminates in the open plan living volume to the rear. This twist also helps to open up spaces, including bedrooms, to a day long exposure to natural light and a series of carefully framed views of the surrounding countryside.
These unbuilt or trapped spaces become a series of vertical courtyards which bring the experience of the existing landscape into the core of the building and stimulate a strong spatial dialogue between opposing areas. These secret gardens ensure every room has direct access to natural daylight and ventilation while developing a carefully controlled relationship between inside and outside. Courtyards can be easily closed off from the surrounding landscape as required ensuring a secure internal environment can always be maintained.
The large open plan living volume to the rear is the culmination of your journey through the building and it contains the main kitchen, dining and living areas. The kitchen is positioned below a rooftop pool installation, opening up to the rooflit atrium or living space, itself located between an internal courtyard and the cantilevered terrace to the rear. Its location means light floods into this space from every angle, all day long, twelve months a year.
The roof is treated like a Corbusian “5th elevation” and is seen as an important recreational facility with unobstructed views over the valley below. Uninhabited areas will be designed as an extensive roof garden using water retaining reservoir boards linked to a grey water harvesting system. The roof plane is also an important datum line, below which plates of accommodation are stacked at varying levels, giving the building its intricate section with a playful arrangement of views, spaces, levels and volumes.
Materials are kept to a minimum, the reinforced concrete structure will be exposed as much as possible contrasted by light reflecting pure rendered internal walls while the existing terrain is treated as a third material, integrated into the experience of the building as much as possible. To the front, the cantilevered structure rests on a powder coated metal plinth enclosing the service spaces including garage/utility and buffer zones. The choice of materials is also central to a sustainable design and the use of well insulated massed concrete with its inherent thermal properties as the main structural material will give us the platform to produce a fully sustainable building.
We believe this to be a flexible solution to the brief and could be easily revised in line with any budgetary or technical constraints without impacting on the spirit of the scheme.
