The Geneva Villa is a single-family residence in a quite residential neighborhood of Geneva, Switzerland. A composition of black and white thin frames articulates the solid and voids of the two levels above ground. And the series of white sunken patios bring air and natural light to the basement level.
The frames are cladded in 3×1 m black gres tiles and white aluminum panels on a ventilated facade system. The different depth of the frames is the result of both the shadow analysis.This to control the heat in the summer months, and the function of each outdoor space. This villa have no air conditioning system. Architects develop facade’s design so the sun ray won’t entering the indoor spaces during the warm season.
The south facade is configure with two main stacked black frames, 3.4 meter deep. This corresponds to the kitchen / living area’s terrace on the ground floor, and the bedroom’s terrace on the upper level. The master bedroom takes two bays on the west side. The inserted white frames act as the outdoor extrusion of the four single-bay suites. The use of the frame itself is to improve privacy in between them.
Basement
At Basement Level, each space is connected to a private sunken patio cladded in white aluminum panels. And it surrounded by clear glass parapets, in order to maximize the amount of natural light below. The all patios are accessed through the same sliding glass doors also installed on the two levels above ground.
Patio
The patio belonging to the swimming pool area integrates a Jacuzzi tub and a macro-bonsai inserted between rocks. The study room patio features a pond with a fountain integrated in the vegetation.
The main kitchen, living area and bedrooms are in the South portion of the villa. That’s why, they develop the horizontal and vertical circulation on the north side. A Corian-cladded staircase connects the three levels and receives plenty of natural light from a large skylight above and from the large windows on the north facade. On the upper level, all bathrooms receive natural light from either skylights or windows. To provide privacy, the architect covering the facing-north foyer with vertical louvers.
All millwork, doors, vanities and kitchens are custom, combining white lacquer mdf and a selection of different marbles.
The villa reaches the highest standards of energy efficiency with a Minergie-P certificate. The high performance building envelope includes triple glazing windows and ventilated facades with Stiferite thermal insulation. The electric heat pump and the production of hot water benefit from the geothermal system reaching 110 m below ground, as well as from the solar and photovoltaic panels installed on the flat roof. This villa bury a large rain water collection tank in the garden and it serves the garden irrigation system.
