On both, the front and the lake side, this sculptural villa shows very expressive and ornamental facades. Facing mount pilatus the white concrete elements are dotted with circular openings that allow glimpses into the two-levelled orangery with its exotic plants, as well as the lounge, the guest tract and the staircase accessed through one of the openings at the ground floor.

The lake side with superb mountain views of the rigi and the bürgenstock shows off a protruding, glistering loggia made of round glass bricks. Very decorative, such elements are a strong contrast to the rough renderings of the side facades. The basement nestles along the slope and opens into a large fitness area with a 25 meter pool, half inside, half outside, which is inserted in a white terrazzo plate. This terrazzo plate extends gracefully from the pool bar located inside along the boathouse made of white tinted, rough jetted concrete into lake lucerne.

Dutch architect Bjarne Mastenbroek of Amsterdam-based SeARCH visited as one of those tourists in the late 1990s. Taken by the awe-inspiring landscape and surprised to discover that it was possible to build up to three stories on the almost-hallowed ground next to the baths, he began investigating erecting a house there. But to purchase land in the area, which is dominated by traditional timber-and-stone farmhouses, required Swiss citizenship. Mastenbroek partnered with Rotterdam-based architect Christian Müller (who is Swiss by birth), and, while financing the project himself, brought in a group of silent owners.

In keeping with Mastenbroek and Müllerâ€s characteristic approach of integrating architecture into the landscape or urban fabric, the team first focused on keeping the view across the valley open, not only for their residence, but also for the baths, which sit catty-corner up the hillside. They envisioned a subterranean building, one with intertwined interior spaces that would fit together like the pieces of puzzle. “We knew we would not be able to build this house in the Swiss style — in a perfectionist way,” says Mastenbroek, citing financial constraints and noting that it wouldnâ€t be as compelling a solution. “You can never compete with the thermal baths†perfection — that radical, minimal, pure approach,” he says. “So we went for a more experimental, almost industrial building. We developed a kind of nonperfection that was interesting for us, and we collaborated with other designers from the Netherlands to make a Dutch interior.”

Though experimental, the house also embraces local building traditions, most notably with its facade, made from split stone recovered from the site — the ubiquitous Valser quartzite of the thermal baths and Vals rooftops — and by incorporating an existing structure on the site. Originally, the limit of the plot for sale by a local farmer ran right through one of the simple stone-and-wood bi-level livestock barns that are emblematic of the Alpine hillsides. To safeguard the barn, the property line was redrawn and the architects incorporated the building into their plan, shoring it up, pouring a new concrete floor and stair, and using it as a mudroom that connects to the house by way of a 72-foot-long, stepped concrete tunnel.

Because building in Switzerland costs so much, the architects determined to make the house self-sufficient. So they created it as a rental property, a move that improves its sustainable value as well, by encouraging continuous use of the site. This decision also reinforced their instinct to create something completely unconventional. ”This whole idea of a holiday villa relates to having a special experience — something removed from the daily way of living,” says Mastenbroek. Taking an unorthodox approach in a tradition-bound locale had other advantages. At first, Valsâ€s building commission, composed of seven representatives from the village, was skeptical. “But when we explained what we wanted to do,” says Mastenbroek, “in terms of keeping the views open for the bath, having privacy, not obstructing the landscape, and using the barn as an entrance, they immediately understood our approach and were very helpful.” Furthermore, with logic prevailing, the on-site timber mock-up of the buildingâ€s volume normally required during the approval process by Swiss planning laws was waived, as was the compulsory pitched roof tiled with the indigenous stone.

To prepare the site, the team of local builders excavated 36 feet into the side of the hill and poured a reinforced-concrete retaining wall. They then built a simple shoe box, 52 feet wide, 26 feet deep, and two-and-a-half stories high, and closed the volume with a concave front. This approach yielded a protected patio and a large facade with ample opportunities for apertures.

Concrete forms the prevailing material inside, with a restrained use of oak panels and doors providing a warm counterpoint. The limited palette serves as a natural backdrop for furnishings from a panoply of Dutch designers. But a lot is crammed into the 1,700-square-foot house, and a bit of editing would help to display the singularity of these pieces. While the common spaces and bedroom on the ground floor all open to the patio and are full of light, each of the upper bedrooms, which are accessed at different levels off the long corridor running along the retaining wall, feels like its own cloistered apartment. Subterranean living triggers a particular emotion, notes Mastenbroek, “an almost primal feeling of security,” as well as providing thermal insulation. Additionally, the architects incorporated sustainable mechanical systems, such as a ground-source heat pump, heat exchanger, and radiant floors. The house also forgoes fossil fuels, using only hydroelectric power generated at the nearby Zervreila Reservoir.

With a single gesture, SeARCH and Christian Müller Architects have creatively addressed the challenges of a sensitive site. And, while conceptually counterintuitive, in fact Villa Vals inserts itself into the fabric of its hillside with great respect. Balancing fantasy with reality, it declares its presence while at the same time deferring to the natural landscape, local vernacular architecture, and the thermal baths just up the hill.

Machine room with kitchen

The huge crane did excellent service during the remodel of the nine meters high engine room. Two of the four transformers are still there, as in an industrial museum. These once-powerful units separate the kitchen from the dining area with the high arched windows. The door on the right leads to the ‘new’ building, where the parents’ bedroom and the living room is.

Control room with dining area

The panel now houses a built-in fireplace where the whole family can gather. From there a door leads into the children’s and guests’ quarters in the north. On the left side, a wooden bridge connects the three-story north building with the living quarters of the parents.

Work on the gallery

From the office on the gallery the parents can still see everything in the kitchen and living room. The ceiling in this part of the house, the former factory building, is eight feet high. The wooden floor planks are a warm contrast to the cold industrial look.

Industrial charm in the dining area

The kitchen opens to the south with high arched windows. A freestanding wooden wall shields the dining area from the entrance in the rear section of the building. The use of wood makes the industrial area charming and cozy. The transformers make the atmosphere of an inhabited museum.

Staircase

The northern building’s former front has a stairwell covered with spruce in its center, providing a clear view from the ground floor to the attic. The three-story building houses the children’s room and two guest rooms, as well as a library in the attic. The free-floating staircase gives the place an airy feel.

Living room in the new building

The living room on the first floor of the western building extends over the entire height. Large windows open to the view of the surroundings. Exposed beams supply an original character, while the fireplace, with its wood paneling and thick curtains create a cozy atmosphere.

Bedroom and private areas

The bedrooms are the same size as the living room, with a view to the west. A large wooden cube in middle of the room houses the master bathroom. Around the bathroom there is plenty of room to relax and chat.

Bath in the box

The band of windows in the wall of the bathroom-box open the otherwise closed room for the views of the landscape. They can also be closed with curtains. Inside, tiles were dropped in favor of a floor of polished pine and wooden walls.

Architect: Antonie Bertherat-Kioes
Construction start: 2008
Completion: 2009
Location: Gstaad, Switzerland
Area: 700 sqm
Lot Size: 1,050 sqm
Construction: solid masonry
Facade cleaning
Roof: gable roof
Height: 2.12 m (DG) to 8.50 m (living room)
Ceiling and wall finish: pine wood, lime plaster
Flooring: Wood Flooring, ground floor