Project: Jewel Box Villa
Architects: Design Paradigms
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Area: 3,229 sqft
Photographs by: Courtesy of Design Paradigms
The Jewel Box Villa is an energy-efficient home with a green-roof that sits on a long, narrow plot overlooking the shores of one of Lausanne’s largest lakes.
Due to its location, the owner wanted to maximize the views to both the south and west. For this reason, the residence has taken up a rectangular form with an outer shell shaped construction that juts outwards and up.
The owner, an environmental consultant, also wanted to make sure that the home with use both passive and active energy sources, with focus on solar and geothermal, therefore Design Paradigms, the Chinese studio that designed the Jewel Box Villa had to make sure that it meets all local energy and eco-certification standards.
The Villa is a mixed material structure utilizing recycled concrete, steel and wood as primary structural systems. The outer shell quickly became a multi faceted garden over a concrete structure.
Partially opening itself up and revealing the primary body. We wanted something heavy but contradictory, suspended, creating a tension and through that tension an inherent calm. The primary body became a suspended core-ten box, being revealed in certain parts and covered by the shell structure in others.
We imagined that this outer shell is a box that is in the process of being opened, hence the outward leaning eastern wall, and the suspended piece of metal became a jewel that is revealed as the box opens up. This notion has given the name to the villa: Villa Jewel Box.
–Design Paradigms
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