villa cèdre
a doll's house - complete transformation of a villa
YEAR
2017 - 2019
CLIENT
Private
LOCATION
Geneva, Switzerland
PROGRAM
complete transformation and expansion of a villa - complete reorganization of the interior volume including expansion (deep digging) of the basement, repair and design of the roof and facade, design of the exterior fittings, winter garden, annex - Gross floor area villa 224m2 (including winter garden) - annex 20m2 - exterior 190m2
PART
complete project in collaboration with the client (architect herself) - concept and drawing, choice of colors, materials and light, construction management and architectural direction, client interlocutor
It was at the end of a cedar-lined path that this little dollhouse waited patiently for its new owners. And nothing could be more normal for the latter than wanting to keep the existing base of this villa from the beginning of the 20th century, which still has so much charm despite the years.
However, the transformation of this atypical property promised to be complicated, both by the density of the specifications and by the amount of constraints. In fact, we initially had 40m2 on the ground over three floors. In other words, it was necessary to optimize the smallest space available. We demolished a large part of the facades, as well as the excavation of the basement for a significant gain in living space. The facades and the roof were completely redone, the openings enlarged, and we took advantage of the outdoor spaces by turning the house onto the new garden, which thus became a prominent place of life in this configuration.
In the end, the house includes dining room and kitchen, play area, music area, bathroom with hammam and laundry room, and two bedrooms each with bathroom and dressing room. A solid oak parquet, cement tiles, as well as a terrazzo coating adorn the interior floors. On the outside, a wooden cladding tinted in blue, a clever mix of mineral coverings, as well as touches of Corten steel sublimate the charm of this villa which is definitely at the crossroads of the old and the modern.
