House in S. Abbondio by Wespi De Meuron

This concrete cube, sitting atop an angled site by Lake Maggiore, is the latest residential offering by Swiss design duo Markus Wespi and Jerome de Meuron.
Photography: Hannes Henz

Finished in autumn 2012, the house is located in the small village of S'Abbondio, a stone's throw from the Italian border

Created for a design-conscious family as their holiday home - and possibly their primary residence in future - the structure is a contemporary environment of warmth, shelter and comfort in the village's suburban setting

'The house is located in a relatively new area with different houses around (some built and some in planning) and the concept was to create a simple cube with a certain abstraction to avoid competition,' says de Meuron

The structure encompasses three floors with the entrance at the lower part of the site

The main living spaces are on the third level, with the bedrooms on the floors below

The open plan kitchen and living room

Oak wooden accents (for cupboards, furniture and windows) soften the grey concrete walls

The interior is welcoming, contemporary, bright and open

The lines of the concrete bring in pattern to the living room and kitchen

The sheltered terrace

The stairwell

Square windows frame the views in one of the bedrooms

The part-planted roof doubles as a sundeck

Sweeping views across the lake

The naked concrete structure's irregularly placed windows of varied sizes and minimal frames create a playful façade