Trubel House is located in Dielsdorf canton of Zurich, Switzerland, on a site that is only 5mx9m – on a steep lot within the vineyard. Because of the small, steep topography and the restricted above ground building height of 83m2, the site stood empty for a long time. And then, along came the creative team at L3P Architects with their outside-the-box thinking.
Where others saw impossibilities, L3P Architects saw a challenge worth rolling up their sleeves and tackling. The result is a clever and innovative design that begins with a subterranean access located inside the home’s carport.
The entry is voluminous, with heights of up to 5.44m or just over 17-1/2′. The cellar and utility room are positioned just next to the entry within the slope.
A double bedroom with ensuite is also part of the underground section and like the cellar and utility room, receives natural light via skylights and a common area with different heights.
The bedroom is divided into two sections with the use of a middle wall that doubles as the main support for a load-bearing wall that travels through the center of the building.
Leaving the subterranean level, a flight of stairs with clerestory windows and a colorful photo gallery of pictures on the wall lead to the first floor level.
At the top of the stairs is a concrete shelving unit filled with books that serves the double duty of acting as a horizontal brace for the buildings framework.
Continuing through the home, a variety of zones are positioned on various platforms and levels. First there is the office next to the shelving unit and then the dining room which is tucked into the corner of that volume, surrounded by glazings to take advantage of the hillside views.
Next to the dining room is a multipurpose space, complete with a hammock in the same bold shade of radiant orchid that is featured in the kitchen.
With the structural surround of the home being either glazings or concrete, the bold pops of color add a sense of whimsy to the home that is powerful and yet serene.
Continuing upward is a reading nook and guest space that features a bohemian vibe with its multicolored and patterned sofa. Positioned in an mezzanine alcove it has views of both the surrounding landscapes and the home itself.
What guest wouldn’t want to hang out here?
Continuing upward, the living room features a couch just as comfy as the one in the guest space. The couch is a purple hue that is deeper and calmer then the radiant orchid at ground level.
Tucked in behind the central wall of this top level is the master bedroom’s dressing area, with the ensuite vanity on the end.
The dressing area doubles as a hallway to the sleeping zone.
Within the sleeping zone is a stunning free standing tub, positioned for panoramic bathing when the curtains are open.
When the curtains are closed the intricate pendant light above the tub casts the most amazing shadows around the room, creating the effect of a magical and mystical forest.
The design of Trubel House is complex and required the expertise of an engineering firm Bona + Fischer Ingenieurbüro AG – as well as a building physics expert Wichser Akustik & Bauphysik AG.
The framework is illuminated by LEDs that are integrated into the building casing thanks to the expertise of Lichtblick.
Although the exterior volume is a modern vignette of geometrical shapes, the building sits comfortably into its surrounding landscape of fields, hedges and fruit trees. In part, this is because of the innovative geostyle stepping-stones that travel along the edge of the slope.
The stepping stones travel around the subterranean skylight incorporating it into their vignette.
Vetschpartner Landschaftsarchitekten AG was able to create a natural aesthetic with the extreme stepping stones by carefully choosing the location of each shape, as the slabs traverse the slope and the majestic cherry trees.
L3P Architects
Photography by Vito Stallone
