On a bluff overlooking Lake Zürich, this family villa takes its cues from the surrounding landscape. Celebrating and connecting with the beauty of nature, we created a purity of form through simple geometries, precise detailing, and natural materials, which help embed the architecture into its environment. Sitting on a sloping topography, the villa comprises three rectangular volumes that cascade down the bluff.

A “home” in its most domestic sense, this is a nurturing and comfortable environment that will delight the family through the years. While it was our intent to create a beautiful home, more importantly our focus was on how the house feels, functions, and flows. Each space elegantly and effortlessly becomes a backdrop to life—enhancing the lives of its inhabitants.

A dramatic spiral staircase connects all levels of the house, forming a circulation core that distinguishes public and private areas. The top floor perches above the nearby road and neighborhood and contains the master and guest bedroom suites. Below, embedded into the hill, open living spaces overlook the lake, while remaining totally secluded from the road. The lowest level of the house contains parking, a gym, a spa, and a media room.

Through extensive investigation, we have uncovered a contemporary and timeless architecture that accomplishes more with less—a villa that exists harmoniously with nature to enrich the experience of place.