usband and wife architects, Florian Baier and
Nina Baier-Bischo erger, are both highly skilled
parametric designers. But, unlike other parametricists,
their mathematics tends to mirror nature’s geometries,
which means that Baier Bischo erger Architects aim
to make buildings that are not alien spaceships within
the landscape, but rather form a liveable part of it.
Their latest completed project is a family house near
their hometown of Zurich.
The property is in Männedorf, on the edge of
Lake Zurich. The clients are a couple with two young
children, and the husband comes from a local family
who own numerous plots in the area because they were
once farmers there. The clients’ chosen plot used to be
an orchard and sheep meadow. It sits on a little plateau
with a gentle slope down towards the lake, ofering
panoramic views across the lake towards the Alps.
‘What is quite unusual, in the ever-densifying
suburbs here, is that this family is not really interested
in building on their land,’ says Nina. ‘They could have
fully developed the plot, built apartments, and would
never have had to work again,’ adds Florian. ‘But
instead they decided to build something nice for
themselves and keep that quality of wide-open space.’
The heart of both plot and house is a tree. For the
garden, the architects enlisted the help of landscape
architect Enzo Enea, who planted a large plane tree in
the centre, around which the courtyard, and then the
house itself, are wrapped. ‘Over time, the house and
the tree will grow to become one,’ says Nina. The rest
of the garden has been kept mostly as meadow, with
some formal planting nearer to the house.
There were a number of considerations that helped
deine the asymmetric C-shape of the structure. One
involved looking at the landscape and the internal
zoning deined by paths across the property; another
was the exposed position of the house because of the »H
LEFT, THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE
IS IRREGULAR IN FORM
AND ECHOES THE ROUNDED
CORNERS OF THE HOUSE
BELOW, IN THE LIVING
ROOM IS A ‘BEAM’ SOFA BY
PATRICIA URQUIOLA, WHILE
THE RUG WAS DESIGNED BY
NINA BAIER-BISCHOFBERGER
AND CUSTOM-MADE BY
SPANISH COMPANY GAN‘Visitors have told us that,
although it is a big house,
you never feel lost in it’
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