This family home sits on a lifestyle lot in the famous Swiss winery area of Mont-sur-Rolle, just a few kilometers from the shores of Lake Geneva. Our clients, an American family who reside in Switzerland, wanted the design to reflect and merge with the local landscape and context.

In response, our design references the local barn typology. To make a three-story house feel like a single story, we have translated the traditional steep, thatched roof into a top story containing bedrooms and clad with handmade white terracotta shingles.

The roof form creates a large soffit over the ground-floor living spaces, where structural glazing makes the roof appear to almost hover off the ground. This first level has 360-degree views of the neighboring wineries, Lake Geneva, the French Alps, and looking towards the famed spa town of Évian-les-Bains. Living areas flow into landscaped gardens designed by Enea. Below the main floor is a basement containing a gymnasium and spa, and featuring a vaulted roof of the kind found in historic wine cellars.

Humble, contextual, and sensitive, this large residence is designed to be a good neighbor. It sits low and discreetly within its rural setting, while affording all the luxuries of modern life within.