Rovereaz Housing / LOCALARCHITECTURE

Architects: LOCALARCHITECTURE
Year: 2014
Photography: Matthieu Gafsou
Project Team: Laurent Saurer, Manuel Bieler, Antoine Robert-Grandpierre, Elsa Jejcic
Civil Engineering: BG Ingénieurs Conseils
HVAC Engineering: Equada, Stéphane Gaiffe La Chaux-de-Fonds
Electrical Engineering: Perrin & Spaeth
Building Surveyor: Roan Vallat Pully, Renaud et Burnand
Screeds: Girard Ingénieur, La Tour-de-Peilz
City: Lausanne
Country: Switzerland

Rovereaz Housing, designed by LOCALARCHITECTURE, is a residential building located on the border of Lausanne, Switzerland. Completed in 2014, the project features a unique architectural shape dictated by the triangular pot and offers panoramic views of Lake Geneva and the Alps. The building integrates the surrounding landscape with fluid interior spaces and distinctive facades, enhancing both privacy and scenic vistas.

Situated between the residential area of Chailly and the agricultural estate of Rovereaz, the new building stands on a steep, tree-planted plot. The southern side of the building offers panoramic views of Lake Geneva and the Alps. Leaning along Rovereaz Road, the building’s singular architectural shape is determined by the triangular plot.

The north-facing street side features a relatively closed facade with vertical undulations in the facade material. A slight fold disrupts the facade’s rhythm, highlighting the bend towards Rovereaz Road. The glazed staircase leading to the apartments partitions the building’s volume.

The south facade includes long, horizontal glazed openings towards the landscape. Oggias alternate with terraces, extending the apartments’ exterior spaces.

At the sharpest angle on the plot’s westerly side, the narrow sidewall rises vertically from the slope, presenting a strong sculptural presence toward Lausanne.

Each apartment has a distinct layout. The plans’ geometry creates fluid spaces and multiple perspectives. Serving areas are located along the staircase on the street side, protecting the living rooms and bedrooms oriented towards the garden and landscape.

The building’s structure consists of exposed concrete slabs and load-bearing walls. The raw concrete stairwell hollows out the volume, forming a cavity that follows the circulation path to the apartments. The facade is covered with a corrugated skin, reminiscent of the agricultural past of the Rovereaz estate. The Eternit facade panels are protected against bad weather with a potato-juice-based coating. The more sophisticated sliding windows, made of stained spruce wood, align with the horizontal divisions of the facade panels.