The house is located in the picturesque town of Gryon in Western Switzerland, next to a skiing resort in the Alps. Gryon and its environs are listed Swiss heritage, so all the local buildings preserve the traditional style of the region. This input has set the key goal for this project: to start a dialogue with the regional tradition.

The plot has a wonderful 360-degree view of the mountain slopes and summits, an ancient forest and the town. To give all the bedrooms unique views, the house is compositionally divided into two volumes positioned at different levels. In addition, opting for two smaller volumes instead of a single large one ensures that the house harmoniously matches the scale of the local development, which mainly consists of small chalets. The programme of the houses is organized into the private and the common zones, so that the two generations of one family could stay autonomous, while dwelling together.

Another advantage of the proposed planning is that the site accommodates two terraces, different in privacy and functions. The first terrace is connected to the main façade of the building from the side of the road and it welcomes the guests to the house. It has a direct entrance to the living room, a dining table and an open-air kitchen area. The second terrace is located between the two houses, so it cannot be seen from the road. It has a swimming pool connected to the lounge area and spa inside the second building and a barbecue area.

The house composition creates an impression that there are two buildings located on the plot. Each house has its own bedrooms, bathrooms and a kitchen, which makes them functionally self-sufficient for their residents. However, in fact, these two volumes constitute one integral whole, as they are connected with a corridor under the terrace, which, in the cold season, provides a warm passage between the buildings. The external connection between the terraces and different levels of the building is provided by a perimetral system of stairs, which establishes external access to both the buildings and the terraces. In this way, the residents can try different traffic scenarios both on the site itself and between the volumes of the house.

The house has several levels and the proposed solution significantly reduces its interference with the topography of the site. The zero level houses a garage integrated into the terrain. The entrance to the house is located on the first level, which also has a passage leading to the second volume, and the kitchen and the living room of the first house with an access to one of the terraces. The second floor links the two volumes of the house on one level and accommodates most of the functions.

Since the house is designed to be used by several generations of the same family, such a system of levels and passages creates sufficient privacy and comfort for each of its many residents.

We have used timber and rubble-stone: the materials, traditional for this area, and the house looks like a medieval fortress. At the same time, it is roofed with energy-generating photovoltaic panels. We have also constructed a massive half-timbered bearing structure, composed of articulated columns and beams.