TINY HOUSE
2022
Adligenswil

Preliminary Design
Client: Private
Collaboration: Eda Özgener
Images: Dashvisual

The project originated from a client's request to introduce an additional living space within the parcel of an existing single-family home. This brief directly intersects with contemporary architectural discourse in Switzerland, where “densification” is discussed as a vital mechanism for sustainable urban development. 

The primary challenge was a balance: inserting a new residential volume without compromising the spatial quality or privacy of the existing house. The design solution was the introduction of a singular wall that clearly divides the garden into two zones, carving out just enough room to sit the new mass. In response to the client’s sustainability concerns, this feature is materialised as a rammed earth wall, which also provides a highly tactile, visually engaging boundary for the original house to look out upon. 

To further minimise the intervention's impact on the natural site, the lightweight timber volume is detailed as an elevated structure that hovers above the slope, touching the ground via point foundations. Attaching itself to the rammed earth wall, the structure follows the natural slope of the site, dividing the space into three primary, open-plan subspaces. Positioned at the highest level, the first area encompasses the main entrance, dedicated storage, a bathroom, and the bedroom. Stepping down from this zone, the second platform serves as a music and lounge space. The final level accommodates the kitchen, living, and dining spaces, opening directly onto the lower garden deck and establishing a direct connection with the landscape. 

The architectural expression is defined by the clear contrast between the solid, stabilising rammed earth wall, which provides the necessary thermal mass and privacy, and the valley-facing facade, which features a rhythmic, fully glazed timber post-and-beam system that maximises natural light and frames expansive views across the terraced landscape.