A married couple wanted a modern residence with generously sized rooms finished to a high standard. A significant constraint in the design work was that the attractive view of the lake is to the north of the house, whereas in terms of sunlight the ideal orientation is, of course, to the south. To compensate for the lack of a direct connection to the lake, water was to be incorporated as a conceptual element.

The site is at the eastern end of a scattered settlement, about 100 metres from the shore of Lake Constance. The residence with its skin of metal and glass and the garage built of exposed concrete deliberately form a counterpoint to nature. Positioned at right angles to each other, together they define an outdoor space with a body of water and a low-lying seating area in a setting otherwise preserved in its natural state. The precision with which the building volumes and the outdoor areas are placed on the site that slopes gently to the north-east is most important. The fall of the terrain is also perceptible in the interior. Through the long, tall glazed front of the ground floor and a narrow ribbon window on the upper floor the house opens to the south, capturing the atmospheric effects produced by the reflection of daylight on the surface of the water. On the northern side a precisely positioned long ribbon window offers a panorama of the lake and the opposite shore. The concept for the interior is based on organising the ancillary spaces and the staircase in a core, to which open zones, some of them two-storey, are attached. This helps to achieve the sense of spatial generosity that was called for. The core stands in space, a sculpture made of exposed concrete with an almost silky surface finish.
The body of water – a reference to the lake – is an important architectural element within the composition as a whole. Conceived as a natural swimming pond with a regeneration zone, it is geometrically and precisely framed by a stepped ramp. In the evening underwater illumination creates surreal lighting moods that visually expand the interior.