Architecture studio Ductus has designed an apartment complex coated with a monochrome red plaster facade into a sloping site in Schwarzenburg, Switzerland.
Located on the outskirts of the village of Schwarzenburg in eastern Switzerland, the complex was designed by Ductus to have the appearance of a series of intersecting blocks of various heights that protrude and recede throughout the design.
The red plaster-covered block was has a blocky appearance
Accommodating 16 apartments, the complex comprises two buildings sat perpendicular to one another that are connected by a shared garden.
Balconies constructed from pressure-impregnated white fir and green columns contrast with the red plaster facade and overlook the garden and neighbouring buildings.
Adjoining balconies are constructed from pressure-impregnated white fir, which contrast with the red facade
Flat roofs lined with untreated copper top the apartment complex, which distinguishing it from the surrounding more traditional pitched-roof buildings.
On the exterior, untreated copper was also used for downpipes, while red-toned window frames and mechanical shutters match the plaster’s colour.
Within the apartments, textured white walls were set off by wooden flooring, while stylish bathrooms were characterised by red-toned fittings and decorative tiles to match the facade.
Bright living spaces are lit by floor-to-ceiling doors that also provide access to the adjacent balconies.
The complex contains 16 apartments split across two buildings
“All 17 apartments were designed as condominiums,” Ductus partner Marcel Hauert told Dezeen.
“The client’s desire was for all buyers to determine the interior finishes themselves. We provided a basic concept that could be adapted virtually without restrictions.”
Red-toned fittings and tiles feature in the bathroom
Ductus is an architecture studio operating between Sweden and Switzerland.
Elsewhere in Switzerland, BE Architektur recently used intersecting sculptural blocks to form a barn-like house and Enrico Sassi has transformed a wood store into a micro home.
Villa K340’s Split-Level Design traces the undulating terrain
Architect Francois Verhoeven constructs Villa K340 in Vroondaal, a natural and recreational area near the Hague, aiming to blend modernity with nature. The region encompasses several designated residential complexes, such as ‘De Hoogte’ where the house stands. The area allows modern villas to be built in a landscape of artificially constructed hills.
K340’s design aligns with the concept of a split-level layout that runs along the contours of the undulating terrain. The entrance rests at a lower elevation while the living areas perch atop the hill, forging a dynamic interplay between architecture and landscape. The project features a juxtaposition of raw, natural materials against sleek design elements. Wooden components and lime plaster, contrast the facade’s clean divisions and slender aluminum window frames. Wooden cladding extends in front of windows and along the front facade, creating a robust silhouette. In the evening, light shines through the gaps of the cladding elements from within the villa.
all images courtesy of Francois Verhoeven Architect
wooden cladding coats the house creating a robust exterior
A large pivot door merges into the facade when closed, offering a sense of privacy and structural delineation at the entrance area. A central staircase and adjoining outdoor spaces provide views of the villa’s various levels. The design team attends to meticulous detailing to ensure fluid transitions between interior and exterior spaces, concealing the window frames behind cladding and plasterwork. The wooden facades cover up the roof edges and blend gracefully with set-back windows, extending the main shape from the top to ground level. Floor-to-ceiling windows free of mullions and thresholds are incorporated into the interior, integrating into the walls.
the design of Villa K340 aims to blend modernity with nature
Francois Verhoeven inserts eco-Friendly Features in Villa K340
Aiming for a sustainable design, the project features triple glazing, a geothermal heat pump, CO2-controlled ventilation, and strategically designed overhangs that provide shade in the summer and allow plentiful sunlight in during the winter. Solar panels, discreetly set behind the elevated roof edge, keep the villa’s energy consumption to a minimum. The villa’s garage, thoughtfully integrated into the architectural design, features a green roof. The roof, the surrounding organic garden and pond are designed and landscaped by Biotooptuinen and complement the modern design, enhancing the house’s overall aesthetic appeal.
the project features a split-level layout
the entrance rests at a lower elevation while the living areas perch atop the hill
the surrounding organic garden and pond complement the modern design
For our latest lookbook, we have gathered eight examples of homes where tactile and practical lime plaster walls give the interiors a natural, calming feel.
Lime plaster is a traditional wall coating typically made from sand, water and lime. It is often used in heritage buildings, since it is a breathable material that can be a good choice for damp spaces.
It also has a natural look and feel that can help to create a more rustic and peaceful atmosphere in modern homes.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring clever wine storage solutions, space-efficient bedrooms and Mediterranean-style interiors.
Photo by Simone Bossi
MA House, France, by Timothee Mercier
Architect Timothee Mercier turned a rural farmhouse building in southeast France into a home for his parents that aimed to respect both the site and the region’s architectural history.
Inside, he went for a pared-back, spartan interior, where some of the house’s stone exterior was left exposed. Walls were white-washed with chaux – a local lime plaster – to create a clean backdrop for the living room’s wooden furniture.
Find out more about MA House ›
Photo by Lorenzo Zandri
Cork House, UK, by Polysmiths
Cork-clad living spaces feature in this east London home, which architecture studio Polysmiths’ director Charles Wu designed for himself and his partner.
Wu used locally sourced timber and lime plaster for the house. A lime-plastered wall divides the main bedroom from its en-suite bathroom, which is lit by a corner lightwell.
Find out more about Cork House ›
Photo by Lorenzo Zandri
Herne Hill House, UK, by TYPE
The Herne Hill House extension replaced an existing conservatory at a south London terrace house, creating a bigger kitchen and dining room.
A peaceful window nook gives views out of the garden from the open-plan kitchen, which features walls covered in lime plaster. Their pale beige hue contrasts the warm terracotta-coloured quarry-tile floor.
Find out more about Herne Hill House ›
Photo by David Dworkind
Québec home, Canada, by Ménard Dworkind
This home in Montréal centres around a lime-plastered, curved central block that sweeps around a staircase and forms a mezzanine level that overlooks the living room.
Here, the rounded wall holds a terracotta fireplace. A geometric steel table adds a more modernist and industrial feel to the organic interior.
Find out more about the Québec home ›
Photo by Mikaela Burstow
Iceberg apartment, Israel, by Laila Architecture
Natural lime plaster covers the walls in this Israeli apartment, which gets its name from a large birch plywood storage volume resembling an iceberg.
In the kitchen, the plaster walls were complemented with birch plywood cabinetry and sunny pastel-hued chairs.
Find out more about the Iceberg apartment ›
Photo by Lorenzo Zandri and Christian Brailey
Low Energy House, UK, by Architecture for London
The minimalist interior of this energy-saving home in north London was designed using wood, stone and lime plaster by studio Architecture for London.
Designed as a home for its founder, Ben Ridley, it had some problems with dampness. To help solve this, walls were coated with lime plaster to form an airtight layer, mitigating any heat loss.
Find out more about Low Energy House ›
Photo by Salva López
Casa Soleto, Italy, by Studio Andrew Trotter and Marcelo Martínez
Studio Andrew Trotter and Marcelo Martínez renovated this 17th-century Puglia house, using natural materials and colours wherever possible.
Earth-coloured lime plaster decorates the walls, adding to the rustic feel of the space and matching the tactile and rough-hewn materials and furniture used for the interior.
Find out more about Casa Soleto ›
Photo by Jim Stephenson
North London home, UK, by Whittaker Parsons
A home in London’s Stoke Newington was given an additional storey made from copper, larch and structural insulated panels, which houses a bedroom suite.
Architecture studio Whittaker Parsons chose lime plaster for the walls of the space, which was designed to have a serene feel.
“Lime render is a calming tactile material, characterful and soft,” said Whittaker Parsons. “It is a low-carbon alternative to gypsum plaster. It’s also a hygroscopic material, so it naturally moderates the moisture level in the bedroom.”
Find out more about this North London home ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring clever wine storage solutions, space-efficient bedrooms and Mediterranean-style interiors.
Architecture studio VATRAA has won a Don’t Move, Improve! award with this London council house renovation featuring pink-toned plaster walls and an oversized window.
Called Council House Renovation, the project involved a full refurbishment and remodelling of the two-bedroom home in Bermondsey, south London.
An oversized window creates transparency from front to back in the Council House Renovation
VATRAA‘s client wanted a warm, contemporary interior that gave her more space but without an extension that would disrupt the appearance of the council estate, which was built in the 1980s.
Instead, the architects aimed to create spaciousness within the small, 76-square-metre flat by making only minimal interventions.
The architects created a warm and contemporary look
Seeing the opportunities the small seven-by-seven-metre footprint presented for enhanced front-to-back transparency, the architects swapped out an ornamental bay window for a larger clean-lined square one.
It forms a new aesthetic feature and frames views of the evergreen front garden.
Ceiling joists are exposed in the living room
Another key feature is the textured, dusky pink-coloured walls.
This effect is created with what VATRAA describes as a “banal” plaster, British Gypsum Multifinish, avoiding the cost and resources of wall paint altogether.
VATRAA applied the plaster carefully to achieve a textured and slightly reflective finish that responds well to daylight, creating different moods and effects at different times of the day.
Teamed with white ceilings and white-washed oak floors, it forms an aesthetic backdrop to the client’s collection of art and design objects.
There are white-washed floors and white ceilings
For the floor plan, VATRAA were guided by the existing stairs and heating source, a pre-feed water tank that is part of a communal system.
To take advantage of its heat, they placed the laundry room around it so clothing would air-dry faster, and the bathroom directly above so the floor tiles would be warmed without additional heating.
An angled pantry optimises the space under the stairs
Each of the other spaces is given its own atmosphere according to function.
The architects made the entrance lobby grander by opening the ceiling to the pitched roof and incorporating the old external loggia into the interior.
The kitchen has bespoke furniture and cabinetry
In the living room, they exposed the previously concealed structural joists in the ceiling, making the 2.4-metre-high space feel loftier.
In the dining room, they created an angled pantry feature that makes the most of the awkward space underneath the stairs and added bespoke solid oak dining furniture.
Different qualities of light create different moods in the house
Upstairs, the two bedrooms are finished in calming all-white to create a contrast to the stimulating warmth of the downstairs living areas.
“The morning transition between the night and day zones becomes an event, giving the homeowner a sensation of energy, immediately as she steps into the stairwell and descends to the ground floor,” said VATRAA.
“With thoughtful decisions fully grounded in the context we operated in, we managed to turn a nondescript ex-council house into a home with a distinctive character, now proud to tell its story through space, light and materials.”
The upstairs bedrooms are a contrast in clean white
VATRAA was founded in 2018 by Anamaria Pircu and Bogdan Rusu, who are based across London and Bucharest. They completed the Council House Renovation in 2020.
It was named the Don’t Move, Improve! Compact Design of the Year alongside Two and a Half Story House by B-VDS Architecture, another project in a council estate.
