Haus Cunti Küsnacht

The new building Haus Cunti arises on a small courtyard plot in Kuesnacht in the greater Zurich area. On merely 430 square meters of site area, an equally large living space is created for two families. The confined situation requires a vertical stacking of four floors. Externally, the building integrates itself into the dense structure of the core zone: volume, gable, position, and outdoor areas are oriented to the surrounding houses, allowing the precisely shaped building volume to blend discreetly into the established fabric. The spatial proximity to the neighboring buildings generates a variety of courtyard spaces that enliven the exterior and foster neighborhood interaction.

Inside, the house is consistently oriented to the needs of its residents. The strict envelope is broken by precisely placed openings, enabling targeted views and atmospheres of light. Windows consciously frame excerpts of the immediate surroundings, while multi-level spaces and interwoven volumes create a vertical living landscape. Visual and spatial connections tie the floors together into what can be called a “vertical villa.” A three-story light well on the north side becomes a place of communication and illumination.

The façade and roof are clad with large-format, polished cement panels, whose regular joint pattern transfers the inner organization outward. In contrast, warm Larchwood reveals set delicate accents within the bright interior. The building site lies away from direct streets, embedded in the courtyard gardens of the neighborhood. The house uses the small plot to its limits and redefines the intermediate spaces. To the south, access and residential courtyard emerges, closely connected to the interior through generous windows.

Through the direct transitions between interior and exterior spaces, privacy is clearly protected by the envelope of the building. At the same time, the compact solitaire within the dense neighborhood generates intriguing negative spaces that can be understood as semi-public zones. The transitions to the outside remain open, so that a fluid surrounding space emerges, extending the private courtyard into the urban context. In this way, private and public spaces interlace, creating new qualities of inhabitation in the courtyard beneath the serviceberry trees.

Client: Madeleine und Mario Cunti

Planning: Rossetti+Wyss Architekten, Andreas Haag & Partner GmbH, Zürcher Elektroplanungen AG, Bakus Bauphysik & Akustik GmbH

Photos: © Jürg Zimmermann