Swiss-based Celoria Architects have designed House C in the ‘Alle Cantine’ area in Mendrisio, Switzerland. It has the same volume as a previous house on the site and uses its foundations. The house stands with mountains and forest on one side and a valley leading to San Martino on the other. It is situated at the foot of a rocky wall in an area characterised by a row of houses and dominated by the Oratory of San Nicolao. The area is approached by a long, tree-lined avenue and features locally typical ‘grotti’ underground ventilation spaces.
Typical of the cellars in the area, the introverted ground floor accommodates the bedrooms, while the first floor, reflecting the typology of the Mediterranean house, contains the kitchen and dining room. The top floor features a folded roof with windows on all four sides and a roof light between the folds.
Conceived as a massive reinforced concrete structure emerging from the mountain with four blocks occupying the centre of each facade. The blocks serve a structural and functional role, containing elements such as the staircase, fireplace, storage, and bathrooms, with the size of the central space on each floor increasing on the upper floors. Photo by Franco Mattei. celoria Architects
