Monolithic Villa Blends In With The Swiss Alps

Most of the times, especially in the case of urban homes, the location doesn’t really make a difference in the design and the architecture of the structure. However, when a house is located in an area as beautiful as this one, priorities change. Every design starts somewhere. In the case of the Montebar Villa, this starting point was provided by the local regulations regarding construction projects.

Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps on slope

The local building code required all buildings to have a dark gray pitched roof for a better integration with the environment and the landscape. From here, the idea developed into a homogenous design created by JM Architecture, a company founded in 2005 by Jacopo Macheroni.

Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps matching roof and facades

The firm regards each project as a unique opportunity to create tailor-made solutions and designs. The team’s meticulous attention to details, finishes and materials as well as their inclination toward energy-efficient solutions allows them every time to create harmonious projects.

Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps surrounding landscape

The villa covers an area of 2,153 square feet and was built on the edge of a slope that reveals gorgeous views of the Swiss Alps. In order to preserve the surroundings and to make the construction process faster and simpler, the architects chose to give this villa n Medeglis, Switzerland, a prefabricated design. This allowed them to reduce the impact on the site and the surroundings as well as the duration of the entire project and the amount of required resources of any kind.

Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps six-sided roof

The structure has a monolithic look and its extreme simplicity is due to a variety of factors. An important detail is the fact that, inspired by the local building code regulations, the architects decided to use the same material and color for both the roof and the facades.

Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps window shutters
Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps closed window shutters

The single exception in this case is the South elevation which faces the valley and offers 180 degree views of the surroundings. For this part of the house the team designed a curtain wall which forms a space similar to a veranda or balcony.

Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps glass facade
Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps glass facade at night

Prefabricated and thermally-insulated elements were used for the entire structure and the house was assembled in just a few days. In order to achieve flush surfaces and the pure, clean and simple look that you see now, the architects spent a lot of time researching options for the exterior cladding.

Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps glass walls and valley view

A series of custom-designed folding shutters conceal the openings and perfectly align and match the facade pattern when closed. This type of details played an important role in the design process for this project.

Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps TV area
Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps living space

This minimalistic and monolithic shell is one of the elements that contribute to an overall energy-efficient design, together with features such as the radiant floor-heating provided by an electric pump, the use of LED bulbs for all the light fixtures as well as natural ventilation throughout.

Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps dining table
Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps open shelves

The layout and the interior design are just as simple as the architecture. The living room, study, laundry area, technical room, storage space, a bedroom and two bathrooms are all situated on the same level. The two children bedrooms are the exception. They’re both double-height spaces with lofts.

Montebar Villa in Swiss Alps flush view