Concrete Swiss House XXXIV by Davide Macullo in the Alps

This concrete house in Galbisio, Switzerland, designed by architect Davide Macullo is an extruded cube that prioritses the interior living space

(Image credit: TBC)

By Harriet Thorpe

last updated 3 August 2022

in Features

This concrete house set on a hill in Galbisio, Switzerland, is somewhat of a statement in the landscape; a force ‘in’ nature. While it is based on the form of the cube, it resists its mould to prioritise living space. Lugano-based architect Davide Macullo stretched out the interior possibilities by energetically extruding the walls in different directions. Exterior stairways and patios wrap around the house, where negative space has emerged.

He describes the three-storey house as a ‘constellation’ of spaces and experiences that are adapted to the pace of modern life. Inside, unconventionally shaped rooms offer different viewing points for the landscape and new opportunities for light and space at every turn. The rooms are like puzzle pieces, each unique and adapted to its use with varying ceiling heights.

With unique façades and distinct expressions at every angle, the house has a confident, vibrant character, yet equally owns a simplicity of form that allows it to sit comfortably in (or in opposition to) its context. And for these reasons, it received a Wallpaper* Design Award nomination this year in the Best Private House category.

Kitchen with grey central island — An unconventional plan allows glazing to bring plenty of light into central living spaces such as the kitchen

Black staircase with white walls — Slim stairways with dark tiled flooring move inhabitants between the living spaces

Kitchen with large glass doors — The interior plan features varying ceiling heights which respond to the use of the rooms

Staircase with mountain view — The kitchen opens up onto an outdoor patio space

Exterior of building lit up at night — The house facade plays with ideas of exposure and enclosure

White staircase — The interior plays with similar concepts, seen here with the vanishing and emerging stairway

View from top of staircase — Different interior levels reveal the surrounding landscape from new angles

View of mountains from one of the windows — Exterior concrete stairways twist and navigate around the house, always offering the interior an outdoor opportunity

INFORMATION

Davide Macullo Architects website

Harriet Thorpe is a writer, journalist and editor covering architecture, design and culture, with particular interest in sustainability, 20th-century architecture and community. After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London, she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine, amongst other titles. She is author of The Sustainable City (2022, Hoxton Mini Press), a book about sustainable architecture in London, and the Modern Cambridge Map (2023, Blue Crow Media), a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge, the city where she grew up.

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