When existing living conditions are limited, architects really need to prove their creativity and planning skills. Facchinetti House in Switzerland – a rather small stone house – was extended with two stories; a new building on top as added value.
Concept and function
With just a two stories high stone shed the task of the architects Baserga and Mozzetti was to exploit and get the most out of the existing house making a brand new addition for modern living on top of the old masonry at street level. Faster, better and cheaper is a mantra to often heard in daily business life – architecture included. That is probably why so many good ideas turn out to be hollow and cheap looking in the end. In this case the mantra of the conceptual task for the architects seems to be taller, more daylight and most exploitation of limited ground surface. Luckily restorations projects spend much more time analysing and researching before starting the building phase, which is often a lack of new building projects. The original shed is to be recognized today by the visibly left nature stone walls. In fact this is a continuing story told in stone. A temporal development, of the origin to the present, of the old and the up to date reality.
The inner room is produced on a small area of just 4.80 x 5.50 meters of living over three stories. With carefully studied and modern, massproduced installations all furniture and room dividers were enabled on smallest area possibly.
When existing living conditions are limited, architects really need to prove their creativity and planning skills. Facchinetti House in Switzerland – a rather small stone house – was extended with two stories; a new building on top as added value.
Concept and function
With just a two stories high stone shed the task of the architects Baserga and Mozzetti was to exploit and get the most out of the existing house making a brand new addition for modern living on top of the old masonry at street level. Faster, better and cheaper is a mantra to often heard in daily business life – architecture included. That is probably why so many good ideas turn out to be hollow and cheap looking in the end. In this case the mantra of the conceptual task for the architects seems to be taller, more daylight and most exploitation of limited ground surface. Luckily restorations projects spend much more time analysing and researching before starting the building phase, which is often a lack of new building projects. The original shed is to be recognized today by the visibly left nature stone walls. In fact this is a continuing story told in stone. A temporal development, of the origin to the present, of the old and the up to date reality.
The inner room is produced on a small area of just 4.80 x 5.50 meters of living over three stories. With carefully studied and modern, massproduced installations all furniture and room dividers were enabled on smallest area possibly.
Interior and light
Inside, and especially under the attic, the feeling of unrestrained freedom and access to essential human needs as daylight as the most important value added the original, solid stone base. Simplicity and pure, functional interior design on limited space is seen throughout all rooms inside the house. As a contrast to the minimal white look, the kitchen is made of modern elements in strong signal colours; a trademark of the contemporary, Swiss design identity.
Dark, wooden floors and a continuation of the white plaster surface unites the theme of the old and the new – the existing and the added – inside the house as well.
When existing living conditions are limited, architects really need to prove their creativity and planning skills. Facchinetti House in Switzerland – a rather small stone house – was extended with two stories; a new building on top as added value.
Concept and function
With just a two stories high stone shed the task of the architects Baserga and Mozzetti was to exploit and get the most out of the existing house making a brand new addition for modern living on top of the old masonry at street level. Faster, better and cheaper is a mantra to often heard in daily business life – architecture included. That is probably why so many good ideas turn out to be hollow and cheap looking in the end. In this case the mantra of the conceptual task for the architects seems to be taller, more daylight and most exploitation of limited ground surface. Luckily restorations projects spend much more time analysing and researching before starting the building phase, which is often a lack of new building projects. The original shed is to be recognized today by the visibly left nature stone walls. In fact this is a continuing story told in stone. A temporal development, of the origin to the present, of the old and the up to date reality.
The inner room is produced on a small area of just 4.80 x 5.50 meters of living over three stories. With carefully studied and modern, massproduced installations all furniture and room dividers were enabled on smallest area possibly.
Interior and light
Inside, and especially under the attic, the feeling of unrestrained freedom and access to essential human needs as daylight as the most important value added the original, solid stone base. Simplicity and pure, functional interior design on limited space is seen throughout all rooms inside the house. As a contrast to the minimal white look, the kitchen is made of modern elements in strong signal colours; a trademark of the contemporary, Swiss design identity.
Interior and light
Inside, and especially under the attic, the feeling of unrestrained freedom and access to essential human needs as daylight as the most important value added the original, solid stone base. Simplicity and pure, functional interior design on limited space is seen throughout all rooms inside the house. As a contrast to the minimal white look, the kitchen is made of modern elements in strong signal colours; a trademark of the contemporary, Swiss design identity.
When existing living conditions are limited, architects really need to prove their creativity and planning skills. Facchinetti House in Switzerland – a rather small stone house – was extended with two stories; a new building on top as added value.
Concept and function
With just a two stories high stone shed the task of the architects Baserga and Mozzetti was to exploit and get the most out of the existing house making a brand new addition for modern living on top of the old masonry at street level. Faster, better and cheaper is a mantra to often heard in daily business life – architecture included. That is probably why so many good ideas turn out to be hollow and cheap looking in the end. In this case the mantra of the conceptual task for the architects seems to be taller, more daylight and most exploitation of limited ground surface. Luckily restorations projects spend much more time analysing and researching before starting the building phase, which is often a lack of new building projects. The original shed is to be recognized today by the visibly left nature stone walls. In fact this is a continuing story told in stone. A temporal development, of the origin to the present, of the old and the up to date reality.
The inner room is produced on a small area of just 4.80 x 5.50 meters of living over three stories. With carefully studied and modern, massproduced installations all furniture and room dividers were enabled on smallest area possibly.
Site and location
House Facchinetti is situated in the centre of Gordola, a small village near Locarno in the Southern part of Switzerland. The mild climatic conditions with view to the surrounding mountains and splendid placement close to the North coast of lake Maggiore makes the location attractive to health treatments due to the unspoiled and fresh air. This mixture of Swiss Toblerone landscape set-up and fresh, breathtaking air is perfect for tall buildings raising in the height. The site of House Facchinetti is, as often seen in small village sites, narrow and steep not leaving much room for extravagant architectural experiments or display at ground level.
Materials and construction
The increases of the extension and the new dwelling were carried out in plastered masonry. The concern of the renewed expansion was solved by preserving the old nature stone used in socket and cellar levels letting the newer components hide behind the plastered façade of the upper levels.
The windows and all openings in the house in general most clearly shows the difference or in the story of the ‘old and the new’: At street level small windows with traditional-style curtains tells the story of the life in a small village townhouse, where-as the windows of the upper levels in the new extension describe a completely different story; a story of modern living.
(top) Section
(bottom) North elevation
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