Haus Presenhuber, Vnà / 2007 , (Holiday house)

The holiday house is located in the middle of the village of Vnà in the Lower Engadine in southeast Switzerland. The community of 70 inhabitants lies in an remote side valley and is still relatively untouched and unspoiled.
Over time the village was periodically hit by fires, meaning that the original timber structures disappeared and were replaced by the stone houses that give the settlement its indigenous character today. The use of concrete as the main building material pays justice to this stone appearance. Only the inner walls and ceilings of the living and bedrooms are lined in plywood panelling to give the rooms a warmth and comfort and as an approximation of the traditional sheltered feeling of a mountain dwelling. The solidness of the of ground storey is likewise a common regional feature.
The house consists of three storeys connected by a single flight of stairs. The entrance level contains an expansive multipurpose room echoing the “Suler” rooms in Engadine houses. The perforated wooden front door, through which daylight falls into the room, was inspired by local barn doors.
The introverted character of the room makes it an ideal space to hold exhibitions. The first floor accommodates three bedrooms, as well as bathrooms and lavatories facing the back hillside. The living room is located in the upper storey under the fractured planes of the flowing gabled roof which is structured and supported by the concrete fittings, including the fireplace and the kitchen. The over-dimensional oriel window is formed as a bench and captures the full majesty of the mountain landscape in a panorama.
The roof structure is of timber and the tin sheeting that clads it is again typical of the area, although the detailing has been abstracted in a contemporary manner.
The interior takes on the slightly asymmetrical geometry of the orthogonal system, which likewise reflect the characteristics of Engadine wooden fittings with their commonly skewed corners to adapt the furniture to movement. This theme has been applied and exaggerated throughout the whole house.

for more informations contact Gabrielle Hächler & Andreas Fuhrimann (AFGH). The architects of one of the most desirable holiday houses in the world.

architects bio

Gabrielle Hächler born 1958. Art history studies at Zurich University, architectural studies at the Federal Technical Polytechnic (ETH) Zurich. 1988 degree at the ETH Zurich under Prof. Mario Campi. 4 years assistant lecturership in the Department of Constructionat the ETH Zurich. As of 1988 own architectural office. Temporary co-operation with other architects and artists. Since 1995 co-operation with Andreas Fuhrimann. 2005 admitted to the Association of Swiss Architects (BSA).

Andreas Fuhrimann born 1956. Physics studies (4 semesters) and architectural studies at the ETH Zurich, 1985 architectural degree at the ETH Zurich under Prof. Dolf Schnebli. 1 year design and planning architect in the architectural office Marbach + Rüegg. As of 1987 co-operation with Christian Karrer. 1988 lecturer at the School of Design and Crafts in “interior architecture”. As of 1995 co-operation with Gabrielle Hächler. 2005 admitted to the Association of Swiss Architects (BSA).