Confignon House: a cascading concrete residence by Localarchitecture in Switzerland

Situated in a town on the outskirts of Geneva within an elongated hillside plot, this newly-built home by Swiss practice Localarchitecture is defined by a trio of zigzagging concrete volumes

(Image credit: Localarchitecture)

By Ellie Stathaki

last updated 25 October 2022

in Features

Three distinct geometric concrete volumes make up this single-family residence in Confignon, Switzerland - the latest residential offering by Swiss practice Localarchitecture.

Take an interactive tour of Confignon House

Situated in a town on the outskirts of Geneva within an elongated hillside plot, the newly-built house fills the site completely. Its three volumes are placed in line, one after the other in descending order, following the land's gentle slope. Made out of sturdy structural concrete, the three parts vary in height and can be distinguished by their double-sloped roofs, each one opening up at the sides towards the property's garden.

The middle volume hosts the living room and kitchen areas, with a guest room attached to the top level on its northwest side. A utility core of bathrooms and storage separates them. On a different level sunken underneath is the house's master bedroom. Down the other end, linked by a second bathroom and storage core, is the third volume, which houses the children's bedrooms. Corridors unite all spaces, wrapping the building along both sides.

The house's robust build not only creates a striking outline within its residential neighbourhood; it also protects the residents from noise pollution from the nearby street. At the same time, its large openings further enhance the light and transparent interior, featuring concealed storage, white walls and polished concrete floors. Pinewood window frames accentuate the link between interiors and outdoors.

A cascading concrete residence by Localarchitecture in Switzerland — Its three volumes are placed in line, one after the other in descending order, following the land's gentle slope

Made out of sturdy structural concrete, the three parts vary in height and can be distinguished by their double-sloped roofs

The living room — The middle volume hosts the living room and kitchen areas

The link between interiors and outdoors — Pinewood window frames accentuate the link between interiors and outdoors

Corridors unite all spaces, wrapping the building along both sides

Featuring concealed storage, white walls and polished concrete floors — Its large openings further enhance the light and transparent interior, featuring concealed storage, white walls and polished concrete floors

Confignon House garden — The three volumes open up at the sides towards the property's garden

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Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).