Santa Domenica (Rossa) in Val Calanca - Switzerland
Architect - Michel Schranz (MS-DA)
Photographer - Nick Guttridge
A house in Santa Domenica, on a steep valley slope amongst dry stone terraces - a retreat for a family spanning now four generations, spending weekends and holidays away from the cities & it is the client's home town.
MS-DA adapted to scale and proportions of the houses to the ones in the village in an attempt to understand the vernacular. Being the first house of the village we wanted it to be a kind of gate, throning over the main road.
The client's background as a master carpenter informed the designs as much as the steep slopes and valley views.
Ground source heat pumps into solid rock and PV-panel makes this a perfectly modern building seemingly in the middle of nowhere.