1 00:00:02,008 --> 00:00:05,008 I think it's time, Caroline, to go and see how the other half live. 2 00:00:05,008 --> 00:00:07,008 Talk about, "Welcome to my humble abode." 3 00:00:07,008 --> 00:00:09,000 Cor, that is a whole lot of house! 4 00:00:11,028 --> 00:00:15,024 He's Piers Taylor, an award-winning architect. 5 00:00:15,024 --> 00:00:17,084 I mean, the depth of this wall, it's... 6 00:00:17,084 --> 00:00:19,032 ..four foot thick. 7 00:00:19,032 --> 00:00:21,012 After you, my lord. 8 00:00:21,012 --> 00:00:23,012 And she's Caroline Quentin, 9 00:00:23,012 --> 00:00:26,044 acclaimed actress and passionate property developer. 10 00:00:26,044 --> 00:00:32,016 This house has the perfect ratio of bedrooms to swimming pools. 11 00:00:32,016 --> 00:00:36,024 We've been given the keys to some of the most incredible houses in the 12 00:00:36,024 --> 00:00:39,028 world... If we were left alone here for any amount of time, 13 00:00:39,028 --> 00:00:42,036 I have a feeling... We'd ruin this house! LAUGHTER 14 00:00:42,036 --> 00:00:44,068 To discover the design, innovation, 15 00:00:44,068 --> 00:00:47,084 passion and endurance needed to transform 16 00:00:47,084 --> 00:00:50,096 architectural vision into an extraordinary home. 17 00:00:50,096 --> 00:00:54,008 It's so glamorous, Piers. 18 00:00:54,008 --> 00:00:57,068 We're travelling the globe... SHE LAUGHS 19 00:00:57,068 --> 00:01:01,064 Meeting architects and owners to explore how their daring homes 20 00:01:01,064 --> 00:01:05,044 respond uniquely to the local landscape, climate and culture. 21 00:01:05,044 --> 00:01:08,080 I think this is probably the greatest house I've ever been in. 22 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:12,076 Whether it's battling the elements to construct a dream home on 23 00:01:12,076 --> 00:01:15,008 dramatic Scandinavian terrain... 24 00:01:15,008 --> 00:01:18,008 The architect was nervous that things would go wrong. 25 00:01:18,008 --> 00:01:20,004 He couldn't bear to look at it. 26 00:01:20,004 --> 00:01:23,032 Pushing the boundaries of European experimentation... 27 00:01:23,032 --> 00:01:25,044 I think that's it.I think it is. 28 00:01:25,044 --> 00:01:29,048 When I looked at the proposal, in the beginning, I was almost shocked. 29 00:01:29,048 --> 00:01:33,032 Celebrating craftsmanship and beauty in Asia... 30 00:01:33,032 --> 00:01:37,016 They take away the extraneous and they leave you with what is 31 00:01:37,016 --> 00:01:38,096 beautiful. 32 00:01:38,096 --> 00:01:41,084 Or going all-out for glamour in America. 33 00:01:41,084 --> 00:01:46,028 And you just do what you do best, is to create a masterpiece. 34 00:01:46,028 --> 00:01:48,076 MOCK AMERICAN ACCENT:Piers! Is this too Miami? 35 00:01:56,008 --> 00:01:59,020 We're on a grand tour of Switzerland... 36 00:01:59,020 --> 00:02:03,052 A country known for its shimmering lakes and snowy mountain peaks. 37 00:02:03,052 --> 00:02:07,000 Don't forget the bulging bank accounts.Of course. 38 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,076 Its 8 million citizens are among the wealthiest in the world. 39 00:02:10,076 --> 00:02:13,032 It's not a big country, is it, Switzerland? 40 00:02:13,032 --> 00:02:16,072 It's tiny. It's pushed up against all these other countries, 41 00:02:16,072 --> 00:02:18,052 with all the influence that that means. 42 00:02:18,052 --> 00:02:22,000 Yes, the Germans, the French, the Italians. 43 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:23,072 So what kind of houses are we going to see? 44 00:02:23,072 --> 00:02:26,048 It's Switzerland - we're going to find extraordinary houses. 45 00:02:26,048 --> 00:02:28,000 They build brilliantly. 46 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,084 They do indeed, whether it's an eccentric flight of fancy... 47 00:02:31,084 --> 00:02:35,000 I'm going to take a little walk up the wall. 48 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,084 Oh! ..or a more serious architectural marvel. 49 00:02:38,084 --> 00:02:42,096 I love this austerity. It's like a monk's cell. 50 00:02:42,096 --> 00:02:46,068 This is a nation of creative architects and skilled craftspeople 51 00:02:46,068 --> 00:02:50,012 who are making buildings that are simply breathtaking. 52 00:02:50,012 --> 00:02:52,016 This is what I've found, 53 00:02:52,016 --> 00:02:57,048 and this is clearly what this entire house is about. 54 00:02:59,012 --> 00:03:01,084 Oh! 55 00:03:01,084 --> 00:03:05,040 The first stop on our Swiss adventure takes us to an Alpine 56 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:10,096 idyll, amid ancient pine forests and meadows of breathtaking loveliness. 57 00:03:10,096 --> 00:03:15,060 Picture-postcard Swiss landscape, real ski country. 58 00:03:15,060 --> 00:03:18,072 This is Switzerland, but only just. 59 00:03:18,072 --> 00:03:22,028 We're only just into Switzerland, because this is France, just there, 60 00:03:22,028 --> 00:03:26,000 actually.And, of course, skiing means it's chalet country, too, 61 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:27,044 which we can see. 62 00:03:28,084 --> 00:03:33,036 But these typically Swiss houses, built to withstand snowy winters, 63 00:03:33,036 --> 00:03:38,004 with thick walls and overhanging roofs, aren't what we've come for. 64 00:03:38,004 --> 00:03:41,012 We're visiting a home that shows what's possible when an architect 65 00:03:41,012 --> 00:03:43,008 takes a traditional building form 66 00:03:43,008 --> 00:03:46,028 and transforms it into a contemporary language. 67 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:54,000 And here it is - the modern version of the traditional Swiss chalet. 68 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,016 And how cute. 69 00:03:56,016 --> 00:03:58,048 This weekend wilderness retreat was 70 00:03:58,048 --> 00:04:01,032 built on land belonging to the owner's family. 71 00:04:01,032 --> 00:04:03,020 Perched on a cliff edge, 72 00:04:03,020 --> 00:04:07,032 this angular black timber cabin nods to its vernacular ancestry, 73 00:04:07,032 --> 00:04:10,088 but its shape has been dramatically reimagined. 74 00:04:10,088 --> 00:04:14,036 It is a chalet that's been pulled apart and tweaked and... 75 00:04:14,036 --> 00:04:17,036 Reassembled... ..massaged, reassembled...into a modern way, yeah. 76 00:04:17,036 --> 00:04:18,096 It's also a piece of mountain. 77 00:04:18,096 --> 00:04:21,048 Yes, it mirrors the mountains beautifully. 78 00:04:23,036 --> 00:04:25,036 I wonder what the two halves are about. 79 00:04:25,036 --> 00:04:28,028 I suppose one is living and eating and stuff and the other... 80 00:04:28,028 --> 00:04:29,068 Well, let's go and find out. 81 00:04:33,004 --> 00:04:36,060 The house is split into two sections with a cleft at the back, 82 00:04:36,060 --> 00:04:39,064 and doors and walls at unusual angles to one another. 83 00:04:42,048 --> 00:04:46,020 On the ground floor, this V shape separates the living space from a 84 00:04:46,020 --> 00:04:49,064 music room. Above, three bedrooms, 85 00:04:49,064 --> 00:04:53,008 two bathrooms and an office have fantastic mountain views. 86 00:04:54,016 --> 00:04:57,000 The dark wood of the exterior contrasts dramatically with its 87 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:58,036 surroundings. 88 00:05:00,008 --> 00:05:04,036 I always think the most important part of any building is the way in. 89 00:05:04,036 --> 00:05:05,096 And here we are, 90 00:05:05,096 --> 00:05:09,016 arriving at the intersection between these two volumes, and also 91 00:05:09,016 --> 00:05:14,004 what looks like a bit of the inside, peeled back, to show you a bit of 92 00:05:14,004 --> 00:05:17,016 the internal skin coming out to greet you. 93 00:05:17,016 --> 00:05:21,048 And it's all just made to encourage us to... 94 00:05:23,028 --> 00:05:24,084 ..open the door. 95 00:05:30,004 --> 00:05:31,092 It's a pretty space. 96 00:05:31,092 --> 00:05:35,052 You walk right into that split between the two areas. 97 00:05:35,052 --> 00:05:38,004 And I like it, because it feels almost like Goldilocks 98 00:05:38,004 --> 00:05:39,032 might walk in. 99 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,088 It's a very particular sensation, arriving up into the mountains - 100 00:05:44,088 --> 00:05:49,072 this craggy, wild landscape - stepping in to this glowing, 101 00:05:49,072 --> 00:05:52,004 honey-coloured space. 102 00:05:52,004 --> 00:05:55,048 The timber-lined entrance directs you into a warm and welcoming 103 00:05:55,048 --> 00:05:58,004 living space. 104 00:05:58,004 --> 00:06:00,000 Gosh...pink! 105 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:04,036 I did not expect to find pink in this environment. 106 00:06:04,036 --> 00:06:06,016 You thought it would just be more wood? 107 00:06:06,016 --> 00:06:08,004 Yeah, I did, but it's actually... 108 00:06:08,004 --> 00:06:10,028 It's quite fluffy and romantic in here. 109 00:06:10,028 --> 00:06:13,004 And you wouldn't have thought so from outside, because it looks 110 00:06:13,004 --> 00:06:15,084 incredibly practical, but of course it's romantic. 111 00:06:15,084 --> 00:06:20,004 You only have to look at the incredible view to realise it's 112 00:06:20,004 --> 00:06:21,084 people who... 113 00:06:21,084 --> 00:06:23,084 ..who love being in this environment. 114 00:06:35,076 --> 00:06:38,052 And here's the fantastic kitchen. 115 00:06:38,052 --> 00:06:40,020 I think you'll like this, P. 116 00:06:42,028 --> 00:06:45,056 This material, this wood, this pine, just carries right on through, 117 00:06:45,056 --> 00:06:48,076 only now we've got the addition of this fantastic black granite which 118 00:06:48,076 --> 00:06:51,048 sort of replicates the mountains outside, but also the wood, 119 00:06:51,048 --> 00:06:55,076 so that brings the trees that surround this house into the house. 120 00:06:55,076 --> 00:06:59,012 It's interesting, that limited palette of materials that architects 121 00:06:59,012 --> 00:07:01,012 really get off on - this sense that 122 00:07:01,012 --> 00:07:04,064 you restrain your palette to just one or two things. 123 00:07:04,064 --> 00:07:09,012 I love the idea of that, but I do think, sometimes, domestically, 124 00:07:09,012 --> 00:07:11,008 life leads you in other directions. 125 00:07:11,008 --> 00:07:13,088 You know, you've got children and therefore you will have plastics. 126 00:07:13,088 --> 00:07:16,064 You've got dogs, therefore you have dog beds. 127 00:07:16,064 --> 00:07:19,056 You want to live in that beautiful, stylish way, but that kind of 128 00:07:19,056 --> 00:07:23,040 simplicity of vision is really hard to adhere to. 129 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:26,008 But one material allows you to live in quite a cluttered way. 130 00:07:26,008 --> 00:07:28,024 I mean, I have four children with stuff everywhere. 131 00:07:28,024 --> 00:07:31,020 The advantage is that that one material binds everything together, 132 00:07:31,020 --> 00:07:33,000 and however slovenly you are, 133 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,056 like me, the house will generally look OK. 134 00:07:35,056 --> 00:07:38,056 So you can throw anything at it, really? Yeah.I want to go and have 135 00:07:38,056 --> 00:07:40,096 a little look and see what's in this room next door. 136 00:07:46,084 --> 00:07:48,012 Piers! 137 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:51,096 Hi! This is a music room. 138 00:07:51,096 --> 00:07:55,052 You'll be in your element. Yes.I'm going to go upstairs. 139 00:07:55,052 --> 00:07:57,012 OK, see you in a minute. 140 00:08:01,044 --> 00:08:05,040 This is a house of sharp angles, but the pine on the floor, 141 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:08,072 the walls and the ceiling make the interior spaces surprisingly 142 00:08:08,072 --> 00:08:10,020 comfortable. 143 00:08:10,020 --> 00:08:13,032 SEDATE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYS 144 00:08:20,036 --> 00:08:24,000 This is a vertical slice of a room, but... 145 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:25,064 ..what a place to work. 146 00:08:31,068 --> 00:08:35,000 The hustle and bustle of city life feels far away here. 147 00:08:39,092 --> 00:08:45,024 How wonderful to have a room in a mountain escape 148 00:08:45,024 --> 00:08:48,092 completely devoted to music. 149 00:08:48,092 --> 00:08:52,004 I mean, it's like something out of a fairy tale, isn't it? 150 00:08:52,004 --> 00:08:55,020 And what a place to create. 151 00:08:55,020 --> 00:09:00,000 To be in this environment must be so inspirational. 152 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,072 I'm just so tempted to... 153 00:09:04,036 --> 00:09:06,076 ..but I mustn't. They're not mine! 154 00:09:11,012 --> 00:09:14,044 Upstairs, the sleeping quarters are tucked up under the angled roof of 155 00:09:14,044 --> 00:09:16,028 the house. 156 00:09:17,068 --> 00:09:21,024 This really is a bedroom where you can have your cake and eat it. 157 00:09:21,024 --> 00:09:24,096 You can be perched like a bird in landscape, 158 00:09:24,096 --> 00:09:28,048 or you could lie back and be protected from it, 159 00:09:28,048 --> 00:09:31,028 cosseted by this warm timber. 160 00:09:40,096 --> 00:09:43,044 P?Yeah? 161 00:09:43,044 --> 00:09:46,012 Hi.Hello. What have you discovered? 162 00:09:46,012 --> 00:09:49,012 Well, that...that room, it's not just a music room, 163 00:09:49,012 --> 00:09:51,072 it's a room full of harps. 164 00:09:51,072 --> 00:09:54,016 A roomful of harps on a Swiss mountainside? 165 00:09:54,016 --> 00:09:55,044 You couldn't make that up. 166 00:09:55,044 --> 00:09:58,020 You couldn't. It's... It's too ethereal for words. 167 00:09:58,020 --> 00:10:00,088 Have you been composing something? Yes, I have. 168 00:10:00,088 --> 00:10:03,008 I've been composing a small... 169 00:10:03,008 --> 00:10:07,000 A small opus to you, actually, but I don't want to give that away now. 170 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:08,092 It's not... It's not ready for your ears yet. 171 00:10:08,092 --> 00:10:11,048 Opera, symphony or two-minute punk song? 172 00:10:11,048 --> 00:10:13,052 I'm afraid you're going to have to find out later. 173 00:10:13,052 --> 00:10:16,020 Wow, I can't wait. You're going to love it. 174 00:10:23,056 --> 00:10:28,020 This deceptively spacious house has made the owners feel profoundly 175 00:10:28,020 --> 00:10:30,008 connected to the mountains. 176 00:10:33,096 --> 00:10:36,040 This is what this house is all about, for me. 177 00:10:37,084 --> 00:10:39,044 It's about contemplation... 178 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:42,024 ..meditation... 179 00:10:44,052 --> 00:10:46,028 ..and yodelling. 180 00:10:48,012 --> 00:10:50,092 SHE YODELS 181 00:10:56,008 --> 00:10:59,040 Caroline is clearly inspired by her surroundings, 182 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:01,036 and it's hard not to be. 183 00:11:06,076 --> 00:11:11,048 This house makes one simple move, and it does it really well. 184 00:11:11,048 --> 00:11:16,004 It started life as, like many chalets are, a square. 185 00:11:16,004 --> 00:11:19,036 That square was then cleft through the middle. 186 00:11:19,036 --> 00:11:25,044 One half splays out one side, the other half splays out another side. 187 00:11:25,044 --> 00:11:30,072 What that cleft allows is a very clear way to enter a house, 188 00:11:30,072 --> 00:11:34,060 which is in the middle, in between these two parts of the building. 189 00:11:34,060 --> 00:11:39,024 Then, in one half, there's a half which gives this house 190 00:11:39,024 --> 00:11:42,012 its way of becoming a home. 191 00:11:42,012 --> 00:11:46,040 Then you have two big rooms - one which is the living room, 192 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:48,000 that has a panoramic view 193 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,080 going in three directions, and the other is a more intimate room, 194 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:56,032 which is this music room, and another window out into a much more 195 00:11:56,032 --> 00:11:59,044 intimate sense of landscape, into the garden. 196 00:11:59,044 --> 00:12:03,064 And that's how this house works in plan. 197 00:12:03,064 --> 00:12:07,008 In elevation, the house takes a Swiss chalet, 198 00:12:07,008 --> 00:12:10,008 it cleaves it through the middle, drawing on the way these buildings 199 00:12:10,008 --> 00:12:13,044 have been made for generations in this landscape, and reconfiguring 200 00:12:13,044 --> 00:12:15,028 them for the 21st century. 201 00:12:18,092 --> 00:12:22,064 This modern chalet was built as a peaceful sanctuary for its owners, 202 00:12:22,064 --> 00:12:27,072 Olivier and Celine, as an antidote to their busy urban lives. 203 00:12:27,072 --> 00:12:29,092 So what was your brief to your architect? 204 00:12:29,092 --> 00:12:32,036 The moment we knew we were building here, it meant, 205 00:12:32,036 --> 00:12:34,048 "OK, we're building for a lifetime, family time, 206 00:12:34,048 --> 00:12:36,084 "perhaps even the next generation." 207 00:12:36,084 --> 00:12:38,056 We told him we want, you know, 208 00:12:38,056 --> 00:12:41,096 a big access to the outside from inside the house. 209 00:12:41,096 --> 00:12:44,040 And this split? This split came from him. 210 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:47,020 And that split breaks the house down into smaller pieces...Mm-hmm. 211 00:12:47,020 --> 00:12:49,008 ..but it also gives an interesting 212 00:12:49,008 --> 00:12:52,036 relationship between those two living spaces. Tell me about that. 213 00:12:52,036 --> 00:12:54,096 I think the best example to tell you about it is, 214 00:12:54,096 --> 00:12:58,068 I can be in the living room and looking through the window and I can 215 00:12:58,068 --> 00:13:01,036 see my wife playing the harp in her music place. 216 00:13:01,036 --> 00:13:03,008 And it's really...She's a harpist? 217 00:13:03,008 --> 00:13:06,028 She's a harpist, yeah, and she's got her own music room. 218 00:13:06,028 --> 00:13:09,012 So that's a very beautiful - you can gaze lovingly at your wife through 219 00:13:09,012 --> 00:13:11,072 that picture window.Absolutely. 220 00:13:11,072 --> 00:13:15,040 This split is an unconventional architectural move, but 221 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:17,084 elsewhere, Simon Chessex, 222 00:13:17,084 --> 00:13:20,072 who designed this modern take on a traditional chalet, 223 00:13:20,072 --> 00:13:24,088 was keen to make a virtue of the region's architectural heritage. 224 00:13:24,088 --> 00:13:27,044 When I arrived, I saw the house was lifted up. 225 00:13:27,044 --> 00:13:29,080 Why is there that overhang? 226 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:33,080 We thought it was interesting to have this kind of sensation of being 227 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:37,076 just above ground and then... Hovering...just hovering, exactly, yeah. 228 00:13:37,076 --> 00:13:39,032 Yeah.So this is one reason. 229 00:13:39,032 --> 00:13:43,024 The second reason is, you can't just put timber directly on the ground. 230 00:13:43,024 --> 00:13:46,088 You have to have a kind of a... A buffer? Yeah, exactly. 231 00:13:46,088 --> 00:13:51,032 Yeah, yeah.So we have this concrete base which plays with tradition. 232 00:13:51,032 --> 00:13:55,064 In all the rural chalets in the Swiss mountains, 233 00:13:55,064 --> 00:13:59,012 they invented these things, which is lifting 234 00:13:59,012 --> 00:14:02,008 the wooden piece just above the ground, 235 00:14:02,008 --> 00:14:06,044 so that mice couldn't go inside to eat all the... 236 00:14:06,044 --> 00:14:10,012 I don't know how to put it.Grain? Yeah, exactly.Yeah. 237 00:14:10,012 --> 00:14:13,080 The clean lines of Simon's design might suggest that this was a simple 238 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:17,080 build, but appearances can be deceptive. 239 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:21,008 At the beginning, we knew that we had to use a helicopter, erm, 240 00:14:21,008 --> 00:14:23,012 because the road was too small. 241 00:14:23,012 --> 00:14:25,072 Oh.I mean, the trucks couldn't come here. 242 00:14:25,072 --> 00:14:28,044 So we took that into consideration. 243 00:14:28,044 --> 00:14:32,028 So the external shell of the house was created by pre-fabricating 40 244 00:14:32,028 --> 00:14:37,004 separate timber pieces, flying them in and assembling them on-site. 245 00:14:39,044 --> 00:14:42,024 Everything was built like a toy... Like a puzzle, or.....a puzzle. 246 00:14:42,024 --> 00:14:44,048 Yeah, yeah. Like a wooden puzzle being put together. 247 00:14:44,048 --> 00:14:47,088 Yeah, a wooden puzzle. And then, in less than two days, 248 00:14:47,088 --> 00:14:49,068 the house was built. 249 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:53,068 And the team's hard work paid off, as they produced a really 250 00:14:53,068 --> 00:14:55,060 accomplished piece of architecture. 251 00:14:57,044 --> 00:15:00,032 How do you feel, having spent that time in this house? 252 00:15:00,032 --> 00:15:02,076 You know, it recharges the batteries. 253 00:15:02,076 --> 00:15:05,000 It's been four years, and yet it's the same feeling. 254 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,048 We open the door, we enter the house and we're like, 255 00:15:07,048 --> 00:15:09,052 "Wow, this is just powerful." 256 00:15:09,052 --> 00:15:11,084 And you feel just at ease, quiet, 257 00:15:11,084 --> 00:15:14,028 relaxing, it has a direct impact. 258 00:15:16,052 --> 00:15:20,016 The completion of this contemporary chalet has left a lasting impression 259 00:15:20,016 --> 00:15:21,048 on its creator. 260 00:15:23,016 --> 00:15:26,000 When a house like this is finished and you walk away, 261 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,008 what's it like to come back and to visit it? 262 00:15:30,008 --> 00:15:32,088 It's such an important moment. 263 00:15:32,088 --> 00:15:37,080 I mean, and then, this is extremely something which is very special. 264 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:41,032 You give the keys to your client and... 265 00:15:41,032 --> 00:15:46,056 ..it was your baby. Yeah.In a way, it's like bringing life. 266 00:15:46,056 --> 00:15:50,016 Yeah.I mean, it's such YOUR project, and then suddenly 267 00:15:50,016 --> 00:15:54,080 you give it to somebody else and then you say, "OK, now..." 268 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:58,004 I don't know, like, "Go ahead and take care of it." 269 00:15:58,004 --> 00:16:01,008 So how does it feel? How does that feel? 270 00:16:01,008 --> 00:16:04,008 And... And coming back and looking at it, actually, 271 00:16:04,008 --> 00:16:08,032 we did well. My job was OK. 272 00:16:08,032 --> 00:16:12,036 More than OK!I'd second that. 273 00:16:12,036 --> 00:16:16,072 And it is still very much just a cabin in the woods, isn't it? 274 00:16:16,072 --> 00:16:19,076 It is. It shows that tradition isn't a dormant thing. 275 00:16:19,076 --> 00:16:22,044 It's something that you reinvent, and it's a living, 276 00:16:22,044 --> 00:16:25,084 breathing thing, because this is still a Swiss chalet. 277 00:16:25,084 --> 00:16:30,036 I love the fact that they use this place to get out of the city and to 278 00:16:30,036 --> 00:16:35,028 reconnect with the mountains and with their creative life. 279 00:16:35,028 --> 00:16:37,064 Speaking of creative endeavours, Caroline, 280 00:16:37,064 --> 00:16:39,064 don't you have a little something for me? 281 00:16:39,064 --> 00:16:42,036 Oh, yes. SHE CLEARS HER THROAT 282 00:16:42,036 --> 00:16:45,012 # I've discovered 283 00:16:45,012 --> 00:16:48,028 # An architect 284 00:16:48,028 --> 00:16:54,036 # With an intellect like a mountain! 285 00:16:54,036 --> 00:16:58,028 # And I have found 286 00:16:58,028 --> 00:17:01,028 # A new way of life 287 00:17:01,028 --> 00:17:05,020 # Looking at houses 288 00:17:05,020 --> 00:17:12,056 # And I love it! # 289 00:17:15,044 --> 00:17:17,032 I knew it would be an aria! 290 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:22,036 MUSIC: Green Onions by Booker T & the MGs 291 00:17:25,004 --> 00:17:27,032 We're now heading into Switzerland's 292 00:17:27,032 --> 00:17:29,060 Deep South, to a town called Brissago, 293 00:17:29,060 --> 00:17:31,008 on the shores of Lake Maggiore. 294 00:17:33,028 --> 00:17:35,080 This region is called Ticino, 295 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:39,020 and it's famous for its mild and Mediterranean climate. 296 00:17:39,020 --> 00:17:42,052 The architecture, cuisine and culture are closely related to 297 00:17:42,052 --> 00:17:47,072 neighbouring Italy. Italian is the official language. UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS 298 00:17:47,072 --> 00:17:50,044 Certainly beautiful, isn't it, the scenery? 299 00:17:50,044 --> 00:17:52,028 It is. It's gorgeous. 300 00:17:52,028 --> 00:17:54,076 I love being here, Central Europe. 301 00:17:56,088 --> 00:18:00,052 The owner of this next house found his site when he was on a bike ride, 302 00:18:00,052 --> 00:18:03,016 so we followed his example and saddled up. 303 00:18:06,044 --> 00:18:09,084 What Piers doesn't realise is, I've got an electric motor. 304 00:18:14,096 --> 00:18:17,096 Come on!Have you been practising your cycling? 305 00:18:17,096 --> 00:18:21,012 Yeah. Isn't this a great view of Ticino? 306 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:26,016 Ticino. It's like a Yorkshireman talking about trousers. 307 00:18:26,016 --> 00:18:30,036 "Have you seen t'chinos?" "T'chinos?"T'chinos! Seen t'chinos... 308 00:18:30,036 --> 00:18:33,056 We're almost in Italy, aren't we? Well, that is Italy, right there. 309 00:18:33,056 --> 00:18:36,060 Yeah. Two miles down the coast. Yeah. You can really tell, can't you? 310 00:18:36,060 --> 00:18:39,052 The buildings change entirely. The amount of stone used here. 311 00:18:39,052 --> 00:18:41,036 Stone, terracotta.Yeah. 312 00:18:41,036 --> 00:18:45,052 That's the vernacular, a little vineyard with a barn above it. 313 00:18:45,052 --> 00:18:48,084 I like the way the terraces are still used for growing vines. 314 00:18:48,084 --> 00:18:52,072 I wonder what sort of wine they produce.I don't know. I hope to find out later. 315 00:18:52,072 --> 00:18:56,004 Sounds great. Fancy that? Something red? What's red in Italian?Wine. 316 00:18:56,004 --> 00:19:00,028 LAUGHTER Come on, I'll race you! 317 00:19:00,028 --> 00:19:03,004 MUSIC: Bicycle Race by Queen 318 00:19:03,004 --> 00:19:06,008 Come on, then! What's keeping you? What's keeping me? What's keeping 319 00:19:06,008 --> 00:19:09,012 you?Hang on! That's not fair. 320 00:19:15,092 --> 00:19:18,012 I ran out of battery. 321 00:19:18,012 --> 00:19:21,072 Your battery or the bike? It just stopped. 322 00:19:21,072 --> 00:19:24,088 Don't look quite so pleased with yourself. 323 00:19:24,088 --> 00:19:28,048 From the road, you can't see much of this house as it's mostly hidden 324 00:19:28,048 --> 00:19:31,048 below this rooftop entrance. 325 00:19:31,048 --> 00:19:33,080 It doesn't give much away. 326 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:38,068 We're here.Quite an interesting introduction to a property. 327 00:19:38,068 --> 00:19:43,008 Oh, this is an amazing datum, isn't it, that's set up by the top of this house to claim these mountains. 328 00:19:43,008 --> 00:19:46,024 Piers, Piers, Piers. What's a datum? THEY LAUGH 329 00:19:46,024 --> 00:19:50,028 A simple horizontal line that claims this view. 330 00:19:50,028 --> 00:19:54,020 Or is it for parking? 331 00:19:54,020 --> 00:19:57,020 Well, it probably does something like that as well, but... LAUGHTER 332 00:19:57,020 --> 00:19:59,004 Yeah, I think this is the front door. 333 00:20:02,008 --> 00:20:05,044 And we're at the top of what looks like a four-storey house. 334 00:20:05,044 --> 00:20:07,072 You can hardly tell there's a house here at all, really. 335 00:20:07,072 --> 00:20:10,080 No, no. Just that datum! LAUGHTER 336 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:13,052 And then down into this extraordinary stairwell. 337 00:20:13,052 --> 00:20:15,048 Well, it feels quite Moorish, actually, 338 00:20:15,048 --> 00:20:20,016 just this slot cut into the building with these stairs that bring you down. 339 00:20:20,016 --> 00:20:23,004 No parapets, just this and the sky. 340 00:20:23,004 --> 00:20:24,084 You could be in Marrakech. 341 00:20:29,032 --> 00:20:32,032 This house is a monumental mass of cast concrete, 342 00:20:32,032 --> 00:20:34,012 towering over the water. 343 00:20:35,052 --> 00:20:38,036 Concrete was chosen to reflect the local stone, 344 00:20:38,036 --> 00:20:41,072 then punctured on all sides by differently sized windows that take 345 00:20:41,072 --> 00:20:43,052 in spectacular views. 346 00:20:45,064 --> 00:20:48,076 But the real beauty of this design is that it manages to be fairly 347 00:20:48,076 --> 00:20:51,076 low-key, so it doesn't dominate its neighbours. 348 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:59,068 Like it, like it so far, enormously. 349 00:20:59,068 --> 00:21:02,056 And the rough-hewn quality of these walls... 350 00:21:02,056 --> 00:21:06,008 Shot-blasted concrete. Shot-blasted?Yeah, so when it's going off, 351 00:21:06,008 --> 00:21:09,064 they fire stuff into it to take off the top layer and expose the 352 00:21:09,064 --> 00:21:13,072 aggregate. It's about picking up on this whole sense of this bit of 353 00:21:13,072 --> 00:21:15,052 Switzerland being about stone. 354 00:21:17,060 --> 00:21:21,040 The design for this concrete house was ambitious in the extreme. 355 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:25,024 It had to cling to the side of a steep cliff, on a narrow plot, 356 00:21:25,024 --> 00:21:27,024 surrounded by existing buildings. 357 00:21:28,060 --> 00:21:31,024 The architects created a home full of light, 358 00:21:31,024 --> 00:21:33,020 built around a large courtyard, 359 00:21:33,020 --> 00:21:36,052 with a generous kitchen and dining room on the top floor. 360 00:21:36,052 --> 00:21:40,000 Beneath that lies an open-plan living area. 361 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,064 The lower two floors contain bedrooms, 362 00:21:42,064 --> 00:21:45,004 plus a fitness suite and a cinema. 363 00:21:45,004 --> 00:21:48,004 Two paths lead to a garden terrace and pool. 364 00:21:49,092 --> 00:21:52,008 I like the way it just leads you straight into 365 00:21:52,008 --> 00:21:54,004 a very nice living space. 366 00:21:54,004 --> 00:21:58,084 Which is quite dinky. I mean, I'm not 6'3", you may have noticed. 367 00:21:58,084 --> 00:22:01,096 I am, and oddly I can't reach the ceiling, which is really strange, 368 00:22:01,096 --> 00:22:04,036 isn't it?But that's quite an unusual sensation, for me, 369 00:22:04,036 --> 00:22:06,092 except in a building that's really ancient. 370 00:22:06,092 --> 00:22:10,016 I also like the fact that this concrete surface in here is 371 00:22:10,016 --> 00:22:13,016 different to that very rough concrete surface out here. 372 00:22:13,016 --> 00:22:15,004 This is just slightly different, isn't it? 373 00:22:15,004 --> 00:22:17,020 It's brushed to give it this... 374 00:22:17,020 --> 00:22:19,012 Texture...texture. 375 00:22:19,012 --> 00:22:22,056 And the floor is completely smooth. Baby's-bottom smooth. 376 00:22:22,056 --> 00:22:26,020 And does it mean that it's really practical? Will it take wear and tear?Really practical. 377 00:22:26,020 --> 00:22:29,004 It'll get better and better and better as it's lived in. 378 00:22:29,004 --> 00:22:33,044 It'll show life happening on top of it? Yeah.It'll show life, and most modern buildings don't show life. 379 00:22:33,044 --> 00:22:37,060 Yeah.They're designed to preserve the day of completion forever. 380 00:22:38,084 --> 00:22:43,052 Oh! We're descending into the bowels of the house. 381 00:22:45,024 --> 00:22:49,008 But it's the cosier private spaces that are so important in a holiday 382 00:22:49,008 --> 00:22:50,056 home. 383 00:22:50,056 --> 00:22:52,044 Right, let's find our bedrooms. 384 00:22:53,072 --> 00:22:57,012 I'll take this one. I think you've got the view. 385 00:22:57,012 --> 00:23:00,040 Oh, no. It's like a monk's cell. 386 00:23:01,048 --> 00:23:03,076 Gosh, so pure. 387 00:23:03,076 --> 00:23:05,056 I love this austerity. 388 00:23:05,056 --> 00:23:07,044 I hate it! 389 00:23:07,044 --> 00:23:10,012 UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS 390 00:23:10,012 --> 00:23:11,072 Bliss! 391 00:23:13,056 --> 00:23:16,096 The bedrooms could be considered to be a touch severe, but Caroline may 392 00:23:16,096 --> 00:23:20,044 be reassured to know that the middle level is less intense. 393 00:23:22,068 --> 00:23:25,008 The living room, with its lake views, 394 00:23:25,008 --> 00:23:28,040 leads seamlessly out into a double-height courtyard, designed to 395 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:31,008 be the heart of this home. 396 00:23:31,008 --> 00:23:35,016 Despite its modern looks, it's a nod to a traditional way of life here. 397 00:23:36,024 --> 00:23:41,004 All old houses in the north of Italy and southern Europe had courtyards 398 00:23:41,004 --> 00:23:44,040 rather than balconies, because this is a cooling device, 399 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:48,092 and it's a great bit of usable space that 400 00:23:48,092 --> 00:23:51,044 is neither inside or outside. 401 00:23:51,044 --> 00:23:55,040 What's wonderful is, you're protected, aren't you, from the elements? 402 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:57,008 So you've got the best of both worlds. 403 00:23:57,008 --> 00:23:59,000 And also, in here, you've got life. 404 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:01,088 You've got real trees, water. 405 00:24:01,088 --> 00:24:04,052 You've got the sound of the elements as well. 406 00:24:04,052 --> 00:24:07,060 And in a building that isn't huge, with small spaces, 407 00:24:07,060 --> 00:24:10,028 this could be construed as quite an indulgence. 408 00:24:10,028 --> 00:24:12,084 This is as big as their kitchen and dining room...Yeah. 409 00:24:12,084 --> 00:24:16,036 ..but I would argue this is the most important room in this house. 410 00:24:16,036 --> 00:24:21,016 I imagine this to be a space that's used a lot by the family, 411 00:24:21,016 --> 00:24:25,072 because you can, you know, be inside and relaxing or whatever, 412 00:24:25,072 --> 00:24:28,080 but if you want fresh air and to look at the sky, 413 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:31,076 and it is so beautiful. 414 00:24:31,076 --> 00:24:35,040 Two sets of perforated sliding doors allow access to and from the 415 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:37,084 landscape. 416 00:24:37,084 --> 00:24:41,036 And you can play with the ventilation, 417 00:24:41,036 --> 00:24:43,096 and deal with heat and wind. 418 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:50,008 Because this, of course, is another device to bring air across the plan. 419 00:24:50,008 --> 00:24:53,020 It works, too. I can feel the breeze changing as I stand here. 420 00:24:53,020 --> 00:24:54,060 You can feel that. 421 00:24:58,032 --> 00:25:02,068 Listening to my pal banging on about architecture has made me ravenous. 422 00:25:02,068 --> 00:25:04,004 I'm going to get some lunch! 423 00:25:06,008 --> 00:25:07,072 There we are. 424 00:25:07,072 --> 00:25:12,056 This is a very nice place to sit and cook, sit and watch someone cook. 425 00:25:12,056 --> 00:25:15,048 Yes, it is. It's a really good space to work in, too. 426 00:25:15,048 --> 00:25:18,000 It's, erm... It's kind of got everything you want, really. 427 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:20,024 It's perfect. 428 00:25:20,024 --> 00:25:24,044 I, erm... The only thing I probably would ask for would be just a little 429 00:25:24,044 --> 00:25:26,048 bit more fresh air. 430 00:25:26,048 --> 00:25:30,012 I think there's that really interesting tension in houses like 431 00:25:30,012 --> 00:25:33,068 this, that I can see this architect's mind wanting just a 432 00:25:33,068 --> 00:25:38,016 sheet of glass and no obvious way of sliding it or moving it. 433 00:25:38,016 --> 00:25:40,096 And that sits on one side of the fence. 434 00:25:40,096 --> 00:25:45,000 The other side of the fence is you and I, 435 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,080 who would want to slide this back completely. 436 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:51,016 Is that always going to be the thing between architects and clients? 437 00:25:51,016 --> 00:25:52,052 Always.It is, isn't it? 438 00:25:52,052 --> 00:25:55,044 That the perfection of the image and the reality of the use... 439 00:25:55,044 --> 00:25:58,024 There's always that tension. Take that over. I'm ready to eat. 440 00:25:58,024 --> 00:26:00,036 Me, too. 441 00:26:00,036 --> 00:26:03,020 Local wine. And what's Italian for red? 442 00:26:04,044 --> 00:26:06,064 Rosso.Saluti. 443 00:26:06,064 --> 00:26:09,012 Saluti. 444 00:26:09,012 --> 00:26:10,088 Mmm. 445 00:26:12,004 --> 00:26:14,020 And outside, there's more concrete. 446 00:26:14,020 --> 00:26:18,032 The pool and outdoor kitchen are created from the same single 447 00:26:18,032 --> 00:26:19,096 concrete slab. 448 00:26:19,096 --> 00:26:23,072 I think there's a sort of serenity in this building that is, you know, 449 00:26:23,072 --> 00:26:27,048 mirrored in the courtyard and here by the pool. 450 00:26:27,048 --> 00:26:31,036 It's just, it's still, it's serene, it's quiet... 451 00:26:32,044 --> 00:26:36,036 ..and it works enormously well on that level, I think. 452 00:26:36,036 --> 00:26:40,008 I would be frustrated with the pool here, because I would have wanted it 453 00:26:40,008 --> 00:26:42,076 as one of those courtyards, and... 454 00:26:42,076 --> 00:26:44,064 ..the ability to use that water in the 455 00:26:44,064 --> 00:26:48,000 house, even when you weren't swimming. 456 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,056 To get the reflective light and things, you mean? Yeah.Yeah. 457 00:26:51,056 --> 00:26:55,000 Listen, I wouldn't grumble, though, if I were gifted it. 458 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:57,020 Mustn't grumble!Mustn't grumble. 459 00:26:57,020 --> 00:27:00,044 In T'chino! Don't t'grumble in T'chino. 460 00:27:07,028 --> 00:27:11,080 This house has a very steeply sloping site and, like many houses, 461 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:14,096 it's only really by drawing it in section that you get a handle on 462 00:27:14,096 --> 00:27:18,036 exactly what's going on. So, at the top, you walk down, 463 00:27:18,036 --> 00:27:24,064 past that long wall, and that's the device that brings you in. 464 00:27:24,064 --> 00:27:28,072 But the key organisational bit of the building is dealt with by this, 465 00:27:28,072 --> 00:27:30,088 this courtyard, here. 466 00:27:30,088 --> 00:27:36,004 And ultimately it connects the sky with the view of the lake. 467 00:27:36,004 --> 00:27:39,016 And then, below that, you have the bedrooms. 468 00:27:39,016 --> 00:27:41,072 And then at the bottom, there's the pool, 469 00:27:41,072 --> 00:27:44,084 which allows you to swim in this water here 470 00:27:44,084 --> 00:27:49,096 and really feel like you're floating thousands of feet above the lake, 471 00:27:49,096 --> 00:27:51,040 there. 472 00:27:52,068 --> 00:27:55,052 At the end of the day, the fundamental principle here is all 473 00:27:55,052 --> 00:27:59,012 about light and view, light and shade. 474 00:27:59,012 --> 00:28:02,012 And this courtyard is the device that does that. 475 00:28:02,012 --> 00:28:05,020 And this way of making domestic space is something these people in 476 00:28:05,020 --> 00:28:08,000 this part of Europe have done for generations. 477 00:28:10,020 --> 00:28:13,044 The building uses natural light in a range of creative ways. 478 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:19,032 The courtyard's internal void, the staircase slats, 479 00:28:19,032 --> 00:28:21,068 and the holes punched in the doors 480 00:28:21,068 --> 00:28:24,052 all produce different shadows and illumination throughout the day. 481 00:28:26,056 --> 00:28:30,056 This idea is central to the work of Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects who 482 00:28:30,056 --> 00:28:32,052 designed this home. 483 00:28:32,052 --> 00:28:35,068 The light brings life into architecture. 484 00:28:35,068 --> 00:28:39,016 We try also to give the architecture some kind of soul, 485 00:28:39,016 --> 00:28:44,032 some kind of a nice atmosphere where people like to live inside. 486 00:28:44,032 --> 00:28:47,084 And the man who does live inside, Reto, has dropped by to 487 00:28:47,084 --> 00:28:51,056 tell me how he came to own this miraculous monolith. 488 00:28:51,056 --> 00:28:54,032 Did you know what sort of house you wanted? 489 00:28:54,032 --> 00:28:57,020 Yes, we wanted to have a modern house, definitely. 490 00:28:57,020 --> 00:28:59,088 And my wife said, "That's OK, you can make... 491 00:28:59,088 --> 00:29:02,072 "You can build your concrete house, but it has to be... 492 00:29:02,072 --> 00:29:05,088 "..have a warm texture to it, a warm atmosphere and everything". 493 00:29:05,088 --> 00:29:08,000 So, erm... 494 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:11,072 then we decided together with the architects to put a lot of wood in 495 00:29:11,072 --> 00:29:15,056 it, the windows and everything, to give it a warm feeling. 496 00:29:15,056 --> 00:29:19,004 And I think this house has some warm texture and feelings to it, 497 00:29:19,004 --> 00:29:22,004 you know? I think one of the biggest challenges we had here is 498 00:29:22,004 --> 00:29:23,064 that we don't have a balcony. 499 00:29:23,064 --> 00:29:26,048 In the beginning, we discussed, should we have a balcony or not? 500 00:29:26,048 --> 00:29:28,048 Because it was a courtyard, right? 501 00:29:28,048 --> 00:29:32,076 So it was a tough time to get around the concept of a courtyard. 502 00:29:32,076 --> 00:29:36,000 We were scared in the beginning, but now it turned out the centrepiece of 503 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:38,096 the house and it's really fantastic. We love it back there, yeah. 504 00:29:38,096 --> 00:29:42,012 You see, we knock our architects, but sometimes they lead us into 505 00:29:42,012 --> 00:29:45,020 places. We give them a little bit of resistance, but they take us places 506 00:29:45,020 --> 00:29:48,028 we do want to go, actually, even though we don't know it ourselves. 507 00:29:48,028 --> 00:29:50,000 Yes, I fully agree, yeah. 508 00:29:53,012 --> 00:29:55,060 So this house, as well as being a bold concept, 509 00:29:55,060 --> 00:29:58,076 is also an excellent example of a client and architect working well 510 00:29:58,076 --> 00:30:00,004 together. 511 00:30:04,048 --> 00:30:07,076 It's different, this place, isn't it?It is, and I love it. 512 00:30:07,076 --> 00:30:11,028 I love the full-on experience you get in a house that has no 513 00:30:11,028 --> 00:30:15,000 concessions to normality.I really enjoyed the experience of being 514 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:20,040 here, of the courtyard and then the sheltered spaces, the light, 515 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:24,076 the dark, the play of shadows on the wall, the textures. 516 00:30:24,076 --> 00:30:27,052 And I think it proves that, more than anything, 517 00:30:27,052 --> 00:30:31,044 the primary purpose of architecture is to elevate the mundane and rescue 518 00:30:31,044 --> 00:30:35,056 you from a world of normality and the everyday. 519 00:30:35,056 --> 00:30:39,076 Oh, Piers, I'm so sorry to spoil it for you, but everyday life is with 520 00:30:39,076 --> 00:30:42,052 us again... Oh, is it?..because we have got to get going. 521 00:30:42,052 --> 00:30:45,092 What a shame.Finish your coffee, delicious though it is. 522 00:30:48,012 --> 00:30:51,000 Here we go, on the road. 523 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:54,008 # On the road again. # 524 00:30:54,008 --> 00:30:58,024 Destination Nummer drei lies on the edge of Lake Zurich in northern 525 00:30:58,024 --> 00:31:01,044 Switzerland. Oh, the German-speaking part. 526 00:31:01,044 --> 00:31:04,032 Ja, das ist richtig, mein Freund. 527 00:31:04,032 --> 00:31:06,028 But we've got a train to catch. 528 00:31:08,036 --> 00:31:11,040 In the country of very strict and good timekeeping, 529 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:14,076 we're running slightly late. Oh, hang on, tickets, tickets, tickets! 530 00:31:14,076 --> 00:31:19,044 Here we are. Now, where are we going?Feldmeilen-Herrliberg. 531 00:31:19,044 --> 00:31:23,076 Via direct?Next. OK, good. Now we put the card in.You do that. 532 00:31:23,076 --> 00:31:28,040 I know the number, you don't. Mua-hah-ha-ha-ha! LAUGHTER 533 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:32,036 There we are.Two tickets. Two tickets.OK. 534 00:31:32,036 --> 00:31:34,072 You going to trust me with these? No, I'm not, actually. 535 00:31:34,072 --> 00:31:38,004 I'll lose them. I don't trust you with them at all! LAUGHTER 536 00:31:38,004 --> 00:31:40,088 MUSIC: Mr Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra 537 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:48,036 Stefan Camenzind, the owner and architect of the house we're heading 538 00:31:48,036 --> 00:31:51,072 to, went to extreme lengths to achieve the house he longed for in 539 00:31:51,072 --> 00:31:53,092 this highly valued lakeshore location. 540 00:31:56,060 --> 00:31:59,072 These tiny little houses, they're adorable, aren't they? 541 00:31:59,072 --> 00:32:02,096 Yeah, yeah. I think... They're so traditional. 542 00:32:02,096 --> 00:32:05,020 Sort of Zurich hinterland, isn't it? 543 00:32:05,020 --> 00:32:07,096 It's the suburbs, or the zuburbs of Zurich.Zuburbs. 544 00:32:07,096 --> 00:32:09,096 The zuburbs of Zurich. 545 00:32:09,096 --> 00:32:12,096 Now, I think the house should be coming up shortly. 546 00:32:12,096 --> 00:32:16,036 I think it's on this sliver of land between the railway and the... 547 00:32:16,036 --> 00:32:17,080 ..lake. 548 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:20,008 Herrliberg-Feldmeilen. 549 00:32:20,008 --> 00:32:24,016 You got that? We missed it! Oh, no! That was it! LAUGHTER 550 00:32:26,028 --> 00:32:28,080 We've got to get off. We've got to get off now. 551 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:33,032 Stefan's desire to realise his dream on a limited budget led him to 552 00:32:33,032 --> 00:32:37,036 consider a neglected strip of land next to the train tracks. 553 00:32:37,036 --> 00:32:40,036 And the challenges of this site inspired an unusual design in a 554 00:32:40,036 --> 00:32:43,008 neighbourhood of more conventional buildings. 555 00:32:43,008 --> 00:32:45,080 MUSIC: Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds 556 00:32:49,020 --> 00:32:51,040 Swiss suburbs are so particular, 557 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:54,028 because they are full of very traditional villas - 558 00:32:54,028 --> 00:32:56,060 big roofs, shutters. 559 00:32:56,060 --> 00:32:59,032 I think of the Swiss as being quite conformist as well. 560 00:32:59,032 --> 00:33:02,048 Very conformist. The most outrageous thing you could do is maybe paint 561 00:33:02,048 --> 00:33:06,096 your shutter a not-quite-so-subtle shade of green or brown. 562 00:33:06,096 --> 00:33:12,032 That's it. I wonder, then, how they've taken to this. SHE CHUCKLES 563 00:33:12,032 --> 00:33:16,004 This is not conforming to anything, is it?Not in Switzerland. 564 00:33:16,004 --> 00:33:18,028 It's total anarchy for Switzerland. 565 00:33:18,028 --> 00:33:20,072 MUSIC: Heart of Glass by Blondie 566 00:33:20,072 --> 00:33:23,000 # Once I had a love and it was a gas 567 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:26,036 # Soon turned out had a heart of glass... # 568 00:33:28,024 --> 00:33:30,040 This is Flexhouse, 569 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:35,020 a playful property built on a modest site, with walls of glass and 570 00:33:35,020 --> 00:33:39,076 ribbon-like curves of concrete that outline its structure. 571 00:33:39,076 --> 00:33:42,076 The whole composition is fluid, light and open. 572 00:33:45,036 --> 00:33:50,092 This sweeping serpent of a shape demands attention, doesn't it? 573 00:33:50,092 --> 00:33:54,096 It does. It is, yeah, "Look at me." "Look at me, look at me!" 574 00:33:58,036 --> 00:34:01,032 The challenge was to use this narrow triangular plot 575 00:34:01,032 --> 00:34:03,072 sandwiched between a road and a railway line. 576 00:34:06,064 --> 00:34:08,052 With impressive engineering, 577 00:34:08,052 --> 00:34:11,080 the architect created a striking S-shaped home with three living 578 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:14,052 levels and a garage in the basement. 579 00:34:16,004 --> 00:34:19,084 The ground level is open-plan and offers lofty living space. 580 00:34:20,096 --> 00:34:24,012 The first floor is home to two bedrooms and bathrooms... 581 00:34:25,092 --> 00:34:29,052 ..while the uppermost storey houses a studio and two terraces that enjoy 582 00:34:29,052 --> 00:34:31,092 180-degree views of Lake Zurich. 583 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:39,004 Oh, and the curves continue in here, too. 584 00:34:39,004 --> 00:34:41,052 This is the neatest house I've ever been in. 585 00:34:41,052 --> 00:34:43,088 It is very, very clean and tidy and white. 586 00:34:43,088 --> 00:34:46,060 I like the way all of these curves 587 00:34:46,060 --> 00:34:48,088 just fit in with the building. 588 00:34:48,088 --> 00:34:50,064 It works really well, doesn't it? 589 00:34:50,064 --> 00:34:54,052 The way they've kitted the place out.And that's quite satisfying, isn't it? 590 00:34:54,052 --> 00:34:59,040 The way that panel of built-in stuff fits in there. 591 00:34:59,040 --> 00:35:02,068 The kitchen, the table and the bespoke shelving were specially 592 00:35:02,068 --> 00:35:04,076 commissioned to go with the flow. 593 00:35:05,076 --> 00:35:08,096 But I think what's interesting is that it is very un-Swiss, because it 594 00:35:08,096 --> 00:35:12,012 is quite fun. It's quite unserious. It is fun. In fact, it's such fun, 595 00:35:12,012 --> 00:35:14,076 I'm just going to take a little walk up the wall. 596 00:35:18,032 --> 00:35:21,024 Oh!Actually, you know, what I'm tempted to do is to run from here, 597 00:35:21,024 --> 00:35:24,044 like, run up and actually see if I can go all the way over. 598 00:35:24,044 --> 00:35:27,016 Do you know, if we were left alone here for any amount of time, 599 00:35:27,016 --> 00:35:30,024 I have a feeling... We would ruin this house! ..we... LAUGHTER 600 00:35:30,024 --> 00:35:33,048 Very, very quick. There'd be black footprints all the way up the wall, 601 00:35:33,048 --> 00:35:35,072 right to the top! Down the other side. 602 00:35:35,072 --> 00:35:38,020 UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS 603 00:35:41,068 --> 00:35:45,008 As a living environment, it must be very good fun to be here. 604 00:35:45,008 --> 00:35:48,020 It's a good space. I like the... I like the way this functions, 605 00:35:48,020 --> 00:35:50,008 that there's a living room here, 606 00:35:50,008 --> 00:35:53,084 somewhere to eat, and a kitchen, and then straight outside, and of course 607 00:35:53,084 --> 00:35:58,012 the added bonus here is you have got a pretty fantastic view. 608 00:35:58,012 --> 00:36:01,008 I've got the best view.Shall we have a little look upstairs? 609 00:36:01,008 --> 00:36:02,080 Yeah.Come on. 610 00:36:04,072 --> 00:36:07,016 Slicing through the living area, 611 00:36:07,016 --> 00:36:10,056 the delicate spiral staircase transports you to the other levels. 612 00:36:17,088 --> 00:36:21,056 So I guess this is the guest bedroom, and what's interesting of 613 00:36:21,056 --> 00:36:26,060 course is seeing this curve come up and the floor becomes the wall and 614 00:36:26,060 --> 00:36:28,032 the wall become the ceiling. 615 00:36:28,032 --> 00:36:31,084 And it's difficult to take a space like this and occupy it because, of 616 00:36:31,084 --> 00:36:33,056 course, where do you put your bed? 617 00:36:33,056 --> 00:36:37,032 You know, do your pillows and cushions fall off? Etc, etc. 618 00:36:37,032 --> 00:36:40,028 And I think architecture is full of compromises. 619 00:36:40,028 --> 00:36:43,012 How do you pay for it? How do you make it? 620 00:36:43,012 --> 00:36:44,084 How do you occupy it? 621 00:36:46,060 --> 00:36:49,080 In a different part of the house, I, too, 622 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:52,056 am concerned with practicalities. 623 00:36:55,064 --> 00:36:59,040 If I lived in a house like this, this is what I would do, 624 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:03,052 because I like to keep my bowels regular, 625 00:37:03,052 --> 00:37:07,004 I would adapt them to the train timetable, 626 00:37:07,004 --> 00:37:09,060 and because the Swiss are so good at timekeeping, 627 00:37:09,060 --> 00:37:14,088 I'd know that when the 9:02 was coming past my house... 628 00:37:14,088 --> 00:37:20,000 ..that would be the exact moment when I should be doing my business. 629 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:22,088 A house squeezed between a road and a railway would 630 00:37:22,088 --> 00:37:26,044 normally be noisy, but the architect has solved this problem with an 631 00:37:26,044 --> 00:37:29,036 integrated ventilation system in the walls and floors, 632 00:37:29,036 --> 00:37:32,080 which reduces the need to open windows. 633 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:36,024 Plus there's an insulated concrete retaining wall at the back which 634 00:37:36,024 --> 00:37:39,004 optimises sound absorption. 635 00:37:39,004 --> 00:37:41,068 It's, erm... It's interesting, isn't it? 636 00:37:41,068 --> 00:37:43,080 When you open up these big glass panels, 637 00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:46,008 you're aware of quite how much noise there is outside. 638 00:37:46,008 --> 00:37:48,048 Yeah, cos there's a road down there but you don't hear it. 639 00:37:48,048 --> 00:37:49,088 Triple-glazed, this.Is it? 640 00:37:49,088 --> 00:37:52,020 Has a submarine quality when you shut the doors. 641 00:37:52,020 --> 00:37:55,096 Yes, you hear that suck of the air going out.Yeah. 642 00:37:55,096 --> 00:37:58,036 This house is beautifully made. 643 00:37:58,036 --> 00:38:00,096 It showcases what the Swiss do so well, 644 00:38:00,096 --> 00:38:04,012 particularly if they're as resourceful as Stefan in achieving a 645 00:38:04,012 --> 00:38:06,080 huge amount for not a great deal. 646 00:38:07,088 --> 00:38:11,072 I did hear that the cost per square metre in Switzerland on average is 647 00:38:11,072 --> 00:38:14,064 less than in England, cos here everyone knows how to build. 648 00:38:14,064 --> 00:38:17,040 Your average guy with a van and a bag of tools could build this in 649 00:38:17,040 --> 00:38:20,044 Switzerland. In England, you'd need the best builders, 650 00:38:20,044 --> 00:38:24,012 the best engineers and a huge set of documents which would cost a 651 00:38:24,012 --> 00:38:26,056 fortune, and that would push the bill cost up. 652 00:38:26,056 --> 00:38:29,044 So what we need to do is build all our houses here and then transport 653 00:38:29,044 --> 00:38:33,020 them back home? That would be a good idea.It's all making sense. 654 00:38:33,020 --> 00:38:38,072 Creating a home on this unusual plot required serious engineering skills, 655 00:38:38,072 --> 00:38:42,076 as Stefan, who is the owner and the architect, discovered. 656 00:38:42,076 --> 00:38:46,024 Building on a railway line is always a challenge. 657 00:38:46,024 --> 00:38:48,080 How did you deal with the railway? 658 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:51,012 When I bought the plot of land, 659 00:38:51,012 --> 00:38:54,012 the space, actually, where we could have built the building was very, 660 00:38:54,012 --> 00:38:57,060 very tight. So the only way we could actually create the building was 661 00:38:57,060 --> 00:39:01,020 negotiating with Swiss Railways to build, actually, even closer to the 662 00:39:01,020 --> 00:39:02,084 track.So you did that? 663 00:39:02,084 --> 00:39:05,016 You're closer than you would usually be allowed to be? 664 00:39:05,016 --> 00:39:09,052 Yes. Normally, the distance to the boundary of the railway property is 665 00:39:09,052 --> 00:39:13,076 three metres. And how close are you? We are one and a half metres. 666 00:39:13,076 --> 00:39:16,016 So you negotiated an additional metre and a half? 667 00:39:16,016 --> 00:39:19,016 Exactly.How did you monitor the safety of the track? 668 00:39:19,016 --> 00:39:23,008 So they came with a whole protocol...of requirements. 669 00:39:23,008 --> 00:39:27,008 The track itself was not allowed to move, twist, go down, go up. 670 00:39:27,008 --> 00:39:30,024 How did they measure that?So they installed, actually, some kind of 671 00:39:30,024 --> 00:39:33,024 laser system that literally measured it, which would give an alarm, 672 00:39:33,024 --> 00:39:34,088 and there were different alarm levels. 673 00:39:34,088 --> 00:39:37,028 If it moved two millimetres, the first alarm would go off. 674 00:39:37,028 --> 00:39:40,064 Wow, two millimetres? An almost impossible window of operation. 675 00:39:40,064 --> 00:39:42,096 Yeah, it was a challenge - let's put it this way. 676 00:39:42,096 --> 00:39:48,068 So it's really a labour of love, to make it look so easy and natural. 677 00:39:48,068 --> 00:39:50,024 All the best projects are. 678 00:39:53,064 --> 00:39:57,092 The story of this house is one of an architect uncovering the potential 679 00:39:57,092 --> 00:40:00,028 of a site, and working out how to 680 00:40:00,028 --> 00:40:02,092 fit what is a really elegant building into 681 00:40:02,092 --> 00:40:06,004 a very, very difficult site. 682 00:40:06,004 --> 00:40:09,028 An S shape is unstable - it wants to collapse. 683 00:40:09,028 --> 00:40:13,000 So what Stefan has done is prop the south facade with these very 684 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:14,072 slender steel columns. 685 00:40:15,076 --> 00:40:20,016 The other side is a thick concrete wall - thick quilted concrete wall - 686 00:40:20,016 --> 00:40:25,000 that keeps the railway out and, importantly, keeps the heat in. 687 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,000 So not only is it a story of real perseverance, 688 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,020 it's also a story about sustainability. 689 00:40:33,064 --> 00:40:38,016 Stefan and his wife Ana have agreed to tell me more about the big white 690 00:40:38,016 --> 00:40:42,076 S they live in. How did you come to 691 00:40:42,076 --> 00:40:46,060 design a serpentine building? 692 00:40:46,060 --> 00:40:51,076 This snake shape - what focused you on that as a shape to choose for 693 00:40:51,076 --> 00:40:53,068 your living environment? 694 00:40:53,068 --> 00:40:56,044 Well, I think this place is a lot about movement. 695 00:40:56,044 --> 00:40:58,064 You've got the train very close by, 696 00:40:58,064 --> 00:41:00,072 we have actually the road in front of us, the lake - 697 00:41:00,072 --> 00:41:02,012 it's all moving around it. 698 00:41:02,012 --> 00:41:05,088 So the idea was to make a building which doesn't look so permanently 699 00:41:05,088 --> 00:41:07,076 anchored into the ground, 700 00:41:07,076 --> 00:41:12,000 but actually much more gentle and has a flow in itself. 701 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:15,076 That's really interesting. So this is almost not a static piece of 702 00:41:15,076 --> 00:41:20,088 work - it's something that sort of has a movement built into it. 703 00:41:20,088 --> 00:41:24,000 Absolutely.Do you find that...because it is an 704 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:27,084 extraordinarily open house, is that exciting, or do you ever think, 705 00:41:27,084 --> 00:41:29,076 "Oh, I want to hunker down," 706 00:41:29,076 --> 00:41:32,060 and can you do that here? Well, for sure, 707 00:41:32,060 --> 00:41:36,084 I feel very excited about seeing everything that is around me. 708 00:41:36,084 --> 00:41:39,056 I still feel very connected to the outside, 709 00:41:39,056 --> 00:41:44,008 and if I do feel like having that cosy moment on my own, 710 00:41:44,008 --> 00:41:47,028 I can always close the shutters or I can close the curtains. 711 00:41:47,028 --> 00:41:49,044 And do your neighbours feel the same? 712 00:41:49,044 --> 00:41:52,036 Do you find that they're interested in... LAUGHTER 713 00:41:52,036 --> 00:41:54,096 We certainly see there's a lot of people, when they go past, 714 00:41:54,096 --> 00:41:58,064 they do have a look and tend to be interested in what's going on here 715 00:41:58,064 --> 00:42:03,044 with this building.What's your favourite thing about this house? 716 00:42:03,044 --> 00:42:07,012 Well, I like very much the connectivity, inside-outside. 717 00:42:07,012 --> 00:42:08,048 When we used to live in town, 718 00:42:08,048 --> 00:42:11,000 it was always the weekend when you felt like, "Let's get out, 719 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:13,024 "let's go into nature, let's go into the mountains." 720 00:42:13,024 --> 00:42:16,000 And actually living here now, suddenly you feel, actually, it's 721 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:18,020 not so much that we needed to go to the mountains - 722 00:42:18,020 --> 00:42:20,092 we just needed to see some greenery and be outside. Yeah. 723 00:42:20,092 --> 00:42:23,068 And here you just have it - it doesn't matter what weather - 724 00:42:23,068 --> 00:42:26,012 and you're connected so well, and that's just amazing. 725 00:42:29,096 --> 00:42:32,068 Flexhouse really breaks the mould. 726 00:42:32,068 --> 00:42:33,096 I'll never forget it. 727 00:42:35,032 --> 00:42:38,064 This house is sort of the last house I ever expected to find in 728 00:42:38,064 --> 00:42:43,024 Switzerland. It just isn't very Swiss - it's too eccentric. 729 00:42:43,024 --> 00:42:46,072 It is a bit bonkers, but there's an incredible precision here in how 730 00:42:46,072 --> 00:42:49,000 they've dealt with putting the house together. 731 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:52,004 It's a little bit like the train service - it runs very, very well, 732 00:42:52,004 --> 00:42:55,044 to time, always perfect. And there they are!Always on time. 733 00:42:55,044 --> 00:42:59,016 Hi! Oh, he's waving! Hi! TRAIN HORN BLARES 734 00:43:00,020 --> 00:43:03,016 How fantastic! Brilliantly on time. 735 00:43:03,016 --> 00:43:05,028 What is the time?Hang on... 736 00:43:05,028 --> 00:43:07,020 4:05. 737 00:43:07,020 --> 00:43:08,048 That's our train. 738 00:43:08,048 --> 00:43:11,088 MUSIC: Hocus Pocus by Focus 739 00:43:24,072 --> 00:43:28,000 The final stop in our Swiss spree takes us to the centre of the 740 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:31,084 country, and a really sculptural house overlooking Lake Lucerne. 741 00:43:33,008 --> 00:43:36,024 I'm excited, because although I love architecture, I share a different 742 00:43:36,024 --> 00:43:37,076 passion with the owner. 743 00:43:39,052 --> 00:43:41,088 Do you ever think that a car is, 744 00:43:41,088 --> 00:43:44,008 well, like a piece of architecture, really? 745 00:43:45,020 --> 00:43:48,072 Erm, I can see there's beauty in some cars. 746 00:43:48,072 --> 00:43:52,000 I can see some classic cars are very beautiful, 747 00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:57,004 but in my life, cars really are just to get me from A to B. 748 00:43:57,004 --> 00:43:59,060 Do you know, on my 11th birthday, my parents said, 749 00:43:59,060 --> 00:44:01,016 "You can do anything you like. 750 00:44:01,016 --> 00:44:03,072 "Whatever you'd like to do, today is your day." 751 00:44:03,072 --> 00:44:06,088 And I thought, "Great," so I elected to go to the car park and look at 752 00:44:06,088 --> 00:44:09,080 all the cars. LAUGHTER 753 00:44:15,020 --> 00:44:17,024 I think it is down here somewhere, but... 754 00:44:17,024 --> 00:44:19,096 Yeah, I don't know where.I hadn't expected it to be along a little 755 00:44:19,096 --> 00:44:22,000 narrow road. I was... Here, here, here. 756 00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:24,040 There it is.Oh! 757 00:44:27,068 --> 00:44:30,044 Oh, look at it. 758 00:44:30,044 --> 00:44:32,084 It's so impressive! 759 00:44:32,084 --> 00:44:35,068 MUSIC: Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up by Barry White 760 00:44:35,068 --> 00:44:38,080 This is a complex piece of construction where a concrete and 761 00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:43,008 glass cave is carved out of a mountain in two sections. 762 00:44:44,080 --> 00:44:47,088 The lower part was built to house the owner's classic car collection, 763 00:44:47,088 --> 00:44:49,096 and the upper part, living space. 764 00:44:51,028 --> 00:44:54,024 It's comprised of three glass-fronted boxes, 765 00:44:54,024 --> 00:44:57,048 angled in different directions to maximise views. 766 00:45:02,024 --> 00:45:06,032 It's like part of the mountain has fallen down and shattered and just 767 00:45:06,032 --> 00:45:10,020 come to rest up there. It's really dramatic. 768 00:45:10,020 --> 00:45:13,060 It's bold.And I like the fact it's absolutely bang next door to all the 769 00:45:13,060 --> 00:45:16,092 little chalets, just really... It's exciting. 770 00:45:22,000 --> 00:45:25,012 Here, do you think?Yeah, let's go and help ourselves. 771 00:45:26,076 --> 00:45:31,008 Villa Am See's dynamic form dominates its surroundings. 772 00:45:31,008 --> 00:45:34,032 The lift is the spine of the house, linking the garage with the 773 00:45:34,032 --> 00:45:37,064 residential space further up the hill. 774 00:45:37,064 --> 00:45:41,032 The lower level contains the main bedroom suite and access to a 775 00:45:41,032 --> 00:45:44,048 swimming pool cantilevered over the hillside. 776 00:45:45,076 --> 00:45:48,068 The entire middle floor is open-plan - 777 00:45:48,068 --> 00:45:52,012 kitchen, dining and living space. 778 00:45:52,012 --> 00:45:55,052 Nestled up top is an office, a guest room, 779 00:45:55,052 --> 00:45:59,020 and of course, for this movie-star-style home, a cinema. 780 00:46:03,040 --> 00:46:05,088 This is like some ancient catacomb, 781 00:46:05,088 --> 00:46:09,020 that we're entering into the bowels of the earth. 782 00:46:10,096 --> 00:46:15,092 This concrete chasm of a corridor runs deep into the hillside. 783 00:46:15,092 --> 00:46:19,048 At the end, a lift takes you up into the living quarters. 784 00:46:19,048 --> 00:46:22,084 But for now I'm staying downstairs to see the room that was the 785 00:46:22,084 --> 00:46:26,048 catalyst for this house - the garage. 786 00:46:26,048 --> 00:46:30,028 I mean, the whole history of Porsche design is in here. 787 00:46:30,028 --> 00:46:32,084 MUSIC: The Passenger by Iggy Pop 788 00:46:32,084 --> 00:46:34,088 I really hadn't been prepared for this. 789 00:46:37,076 --> 00:46:39,096 God, it's so beautiful. 790 00:46:39,096 --> 00:46:41,092 I mean, little bucket seats, 791 00:46:41,092 --> 00:46:44,056 wood-rimmed steering wheel, and the knobs! 792 00:46:44,056 --> 00:46:46,004 God, they're lovely! 793 00:46:47,092 --> 00:46:51,028 I mean, this is an amazing piece of architecture. 794 00:46:51,028 --> 00:46:56,028 I mean, everything that you need to know about making a piece of space 795 00:46:56,028 --> 00:47:00,076 and bringing materials together, you could get from this car. 796 00:47:00,076 --> 00:47:04,056 # Singin' la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la 797 00:47:04,056 --> 00:47:07,012 # La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la... # 798 00:47:07,012 --> 00:47:09,084 Whilst Piers salivates over the motors, I'm going to explore the 799 00:47:09,084 --> 00:47:11,024 rest of the house... 800 00:47:12,080 --> 00:47:16,060 ..once I've thoroughly enjoyed this corridor. 801 00:47:16,060 --> 00:47:21,008 Look at the way this wall tilts outward. 802 00:47:21,008 --> 00:47:23,092 Look at all the angles - it's quite extraordinary. 803 00:47:23,092 --> 00:47:25,044 The smooth concrete, 804 00:47:25,044 --> 00:47:29,056 then the lighting, shooting up and then shooting down these walls. 805 00:47:29,056 --> 00:47:32,096 I think it's one of the most exciting entrances I've ever been in 806 00:47:32,096 --> 00:47:34,048 in my life. 807 00:47:34,048 --> 00:47:36,060 Mmmm... That one. 808 00:47:39,032 --> 00:47:42,084 The owner's obsession with cars meant his original idea was for a 809 00:47:42,084 --> 00:47:45,068 well-equipped space to work on his collection, 810 00:47:45,068 --> 00:47:48,076 and the accommodation above was almost an afterthought. 811 00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:53,044 This isn't just a house and a garage, though. 812 00:47:53,044 --> 00:47:56,016 This garage is a piece of architecture. 813 00:47:56,016 --> 00:47:59,080 I love the way it's made into a piece of theatre. 814 00:47:59,080 --> 00:48:02,020 When you come in, 815 00:48:02,020 --> 00:48:07,048 this beautiful set of materials and objects and vehicles is revealed to 816 00:48:07,048 --> 00:48:08,092 you through this window. 817 00:48:10,068 --> 00:48:12,092 I need to go and see the rest of it. 818 00:48:18,064 --> 00:48:20,040 Hard to know what I'm going to find. 819 00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:24,020 SHE GASPS 820 00:48:26,016 --> 00:48:29,012 This is what I've found, 821 00:48:29,012 --> 00:48:35,036 and this is clearly what this entire house is about. 822 00:48:35,036 --> 00:48:39,008 This fantastic view of the mountains 823 00:48:39,008 --> 00:48:43,036 and of the lake is extraordinarily beautiful. 824 00:48:51,088 --> 00:48:54,080 And, rather charmingly, at the back of the house... 825 00:48:56,048 --> 00:49:02,008 ..away from that incredible window, there's this secret space, 826 00:49:02,008 --> 00:49:06,016 a private space, a space where one can do cooking. 827 00:49:07,028 --> 00:49:10,052 Even in fabulous houses like this, you still need to make an omelette 828 00:49:10,052 --> 00:49:12,008 occasionally. 829 00:49:13,012 --> 00:49:15,068 Even if you have to use a little bit of a... 830 00:49:17,044 --> 00:49:21,080 ..petrol pump to put your oil on. 831 00:49:23,036 --> 00:49:26,072 And to time your eggs in the morning, you have to use the 832 00:49:26,072 --> 00:49:29,080 dashboard clock from a sports car. 833 00:49:31,084 --> 00:49:34,004 I detect a theme here! 834 00:49:37,088 --> 00:49:41,016 That's a knob. I don't know what sort of knob that is, 835 00:49:41,016 --> 00:49:44,036 but I know for a fact I'll be getting letters from single 836 00:49:44,036 --> 00:49:47,012 gentlemen in flats all over the country. 837 00:49:48,096 --> 00:49:51,016 This is obviously part of an engine. 838 00:49:51,016 --> 00:49:54,040 Again, do feel free to let me know exactly what part of an engine that 839 00:49:54,040 --> 00:49:56,004 is - I'm fascinated. 840 00:49:57,052 --> 00:50:00,012 And...yep, 841 00:50:00,012 --> 00:50:02,092 even the kitchen knives. 842 00:50:02,092 --> 00:50:05,036 This man's a fan of the sports car! 843 00:50:10,064 --> 00:50:12,080 Pretty sexy kitchen, though. 844 00:50:23,076 --> 00:50:25,072 It's a pretty sexy house, too, 845 00:50:25,072 --> 00:50:28,072 especially the top floor where the views from the owner's study could 846 00:50:28,072 --> 00:50:30,096 make even a Bond villain smile. 847 00:50:30,096 --> 00:50:34,028 SLOW JAZZ PLAYS 848 00:50:34,028 --> 00:50:39,008 It's amazingly empowering, being up here, on top of the world. 849 00:50:39,008 --> 00:50:44,024 This landscape, this architecture, that allows me to feel this way. 850 00:50:44,024 --> 00:50:46,020 And what I feel like is that I 851 00:50:46,020 --> 00:50:49,000 really should be taking over the world. 852 00:50:53,052 --> 00:50:57,012 And here we're at the back of the house, directly beneath the kitchen. 853 00:50:57,012 --> 00:51:00,044 There's a little bit of stolen light shooting down here, 854 00:51:00,044 --> 00:51:03,004 on to just the little water rill, 855 00:51:03,004 --> 00:51:06,056 which reflects the light back up again. 856 00:51:06,056 --> 00:51:10,048 Hello, charm.Hello. What have you discovered over here? 857 00:51:10,048 --> 00:51:14,084 A water rill and a slanting wall, and some stolen sky from above, 858 00:51:14,084 --> 00:51:18,016 which I'm really enjoying.It's beautiful, isn't it? Really lovely. 859 00:51:18,016 --> 00:51:19,072 This is sheeting over, isn't it? 860 00:51:19,072 --> 00:51:22,080 As you say, to sort of borrow that bit of light from there. 861 00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:26,028 It's stunning. I mean, every surface is slightly different. 862 00:51:26,028 --> 00:51:28,084 And it is such a restrained palette of stuff, 863 00:51:28,084 --> 00:51:32,000 and I like houses that are really restrained. 864 00:51:32,000 --> 00:51:34,060 But what do you think about all this black metal, 865 00:51:34,060 --> 00:51:37,072 concrete and black leather and chrome furniture? 866 00:51:37,072 --> 00:51:41,096 Well, it strikes me as what is ostensibly a very butch house. 867 00:51:41,096 --> 00:51:45,040 Having said that, I'm really happy here. 868 00:51:45,040 --> 00:51:48,024 I mean, I think... I don't think I'm a particularly sort of feminine or 869 00:51:48,024 --> 00:51:50,064 girly girl, so maybe this suits me. 870 00:51:50,064 --> 00:51:52,040 I love these materials. 871 00:51:52,040 --> 00:51:55,032 I like the fact that, you know, I could exfoliate the backs of my 872 00:51:55,032 --> 00:51:58,056 arms on any of the walls at any point. 873 00:51:58,056 --> 00:52:00,048 I think it's really pleasing. 874 00:52:00,048 --> 00:52:03,060 It feels like raw space carved out of this hillside, doesn't it? 875 00:52:03,060 --> 00:52:06,096 Yeah, yeah.There's a series of tunnels and strange passages, 876 00:52:06,096 --> 00:52:10,000 and you're not quite sure ever what your relationship to somewhere else 877 00:52:10,000 --> 00:52:13,048 is.Quite exciting, that, isn't it? Because you never know what you're going to find. 878 00:52:13,048 --> 00:52:16,008 I mean, I'm guessing over there is a room, but I don't know. 879 00:52:16,008 --> 00:52:18,096 Shall we give it a go?I think there's a pink boudoir over here. 880 00:52:18,096 --> 00:52:21,012 Do you think so? Something pink and fluffy? 881 00:52:21,012 --> 00:52:23,088 Pink and fluffy is probably out of the question, 882 00:52:23,088 --> 00:52:26,096 as the main material in this house is exposed concrete, 883 00:52:26,096 --> 00:52:29,088 treated to produce a velvety texture. 884 00:52:29,088 --> 00:52:32,076 This doesn't look like a normal entrance to a bedroom at all. 885 00:52:32,076 --> 00:52:36,060 Because most rooms have walls that are six inches thick, 886 00:52:36,060 --> 00:52:40,060 and not six foot thick. This is like a tunnel through a 887 00:52:40,060 --> 00:52:43,048 piece of rock. A mountainside, almost. 888 00:52:44,076 --> 00:52:48,044 The great news is that you can carry on exfoliating yourself on this. LAUGHTER 889 00:52:48,044 --> 00:52:53,012 Yes, this sort of rusty finish on the wall here. 890 00:52:53,012 --> 00:52:56,008 It goes right the way round. It's not at all what you'd expect as a 891 00:52:56,008 --> 00:52:58,080 finish, is it? When you get out of bed in the middle of the night, 892 00:52:58,080 --> 00:53:01,048 you don't expect to come across here and graze your knee, do you? 893 00:53:01,048 --> 00:53:03,092 It's quite... I mean, it's a bold choice, isn't it? 894 00:53:03,092 --> 00:53:06,000 Yeah, it is. It's unusual, actually. 895 00:53:06,000 --> 00:53:10,012 Because bedrooms are typically things that are soft and tactile, 896 00:53:10,012 --> 00:53:11,084 and I think this is tactile in a 897 00:53:11,084 --> 00:53:14,004 different way - it's hard and tactile. 898 00:53:14,004 --> 00:53:17,088 This rough, textured floating wall provides storage space and some 899 00:53:17,088 --> 00:53:22,056 bedroom privacy, and its curve leads the way into the bathroom. 900 00:53:22,056 --> 00:53:26,008 It's quite a bath, that, isn't it? What do you do in a bath that size? 901 00:53:26,008 --> 00:53:29,072 The same as you do in any other bath - have a read and a piddle. LAUGHTER 902 00:53:29,072 --> 00:53:33,028 I'm not sharing a bath with you! No, that's right, you're not. LAUGHTER 903 00:53:35,096 --> 00:53:38,084 This house has transformed the hillside from a near vertical patch 904 00:53:38,084 --> 00:53:42,060 of scrubland into a dynamic piece of design. 905 00:53:42,060 --> 00:53:45,048 MUSIC: Money, Money, Money by Abba 906 00:53:45,048 --> 00:53:49,012 It took over seven years from planning application to completion. 907 00:53:50,048 --> 00:53:54,068 One can only really understand this building fully when you draw a 908 00:53:54,068 --> 00:53:58,012 cross-section of everything from top to bottom, 909 00:53:58,012 --> 00:54:00,060 right the way down through the house. 910 00:54:00,060 --> 00:54:05,036 Cos what there is, is a really big bit of hillside with an enormous, 911 00:54:05,036 --> 00:54:08,088 dramatic entrance cut into it. 912 00:54:08,088 --> 00:54:15,020 And then there's a lift shaft that runs up five floors, and then around 913 00:54:15,020 --> 00:54:20,084 that are arranged those three distinct boxes. 914 00:54:20,084 --> 00:54:23,020 And then, if you draw the sun, 915 00:54:23,020 --> 00:54:26,084 you'll see how clever the daylight penetration into the heart of this 916 00:54:26,084 --> 00:54:31,028 house is. Then if you colour 917 00:54:31,028 --> 00:54:33,020 the hillside in, 918 00:54:33,020 --> 00:54:36,036 you can see the sheer mass, 919 00:54:36,036 --> 00:54:42,016 the sheer mass of this rock that had to be excavated to actually get this 920 00:54:42,016 --> 00:54:47,056 whole piece of three-dimensional origami to work. 921 00:54:47,056 --> 00:54:51,036 It shows that underneath every simple idea is often a really 922 00:54:51,036 --> 00:54:56,008 complicated bit of engineering. 923 00:54:56,008 --> 00:54:58,044 And, of course, that's what the Swiss are so good at. 924 00:55:03,060 --> 00:55:08,016 The owner of this house is a former financial adviser who retired early 925 00:55:08,016 --> 00:55:12,012 and retrained as a mechanic so he could devote himself to his vintage 926 00:55:12,012 --> 00:55:17,012 cars. Adi, when did you fall in love with cars? 927 00:55:17,012 --> 00:55:20,000 It was when I was about 12. 928 00:55:20,000 --> 00:55:27,040 I read in a magazine, a test report on a 911, and I was so fascinated 929 00:55:27,040 --> 00:55:32,024 that I said, "One day, I want to own such a car." 930 00:55:32,024 --> 00:55:37,084 But I worked hard, and when I got 931 00:55:37,084 --> 00:55:40,060 the opportunity and enough 932 00:55:40,060 --> 00:55:43,084 financial means, that's 933 00:55:43,084 --> 00:55:46,036 when I fulfilled my dream. 934 00:55:46,036 --> 00:55:48,012 How many have you got now? 935 00:55:48,012 --> 00:55:51,068 Now I have six, but over time I had about 40. 936 00:55:51,068 --> 00:55:55,060 40? 40, yeah.And is it true that the house was built for the cars? 937 00:55:55,060 --> 00:55:59,044 Yes, because, when I was 18, 938 00:55:59,044 --> 00:56:02,020 I bought an old Triumph Spitfire, 939 00:56:02,020 --> 00:56:03,092 rebuilt it. 940 00:56:03,092 --> 00:56:07,096 It was in an old shed, no water, no light, no electricity, and then 941 00:56:07,096 --> 00:56:11,084 I also decided, "One day I want to have a place that is warm 942 00:56:11,084 --> 00:56:14,004 "and has all the facilities." 943 00:56:14,004 --> 00:56:17,040 So did you expect such an exciting 944 00:56:17,040 --> 00:56:19,060 and challenging house? 945 00:56:19,060 --> 00:56:21,044 No. I was actually surprised. 946 00:56:21,044 --> 00:56:24,048 When I looked at the proposal, I must say, in the beginning, 947 00:56:24,048 --> 00:56:28,016 I was almost shocked and thought, "This is too radical." 948 00:56:28,016 --> 00:56:32,048 And I spoke to a couple of friends, showed it to other people, and they 949 00:56:32,048 --> 00:56:36,000 said, "That's the house you're after." Did they? "That's your house." 950 00:56:36,000 --> 00:56:39,028 Was there a special feeling you had when you moved into this house? 951 00:56:39,028 --> 00:56:42,092 Yeah, because when I moved in, we first had, 952 00:56:42,092 --> 00:56:46,020 like, a party, and then everybody left. 953 00:56:46,020 --> 00:56:48,092 I stayed on my own in the house. 954 00:56:48,092 --> 00:56:51,040 I drank a glass of wine, 955 00:56:51,040 --> 00:56:53,088 I sat down and I was lying on the 956 00:56:53,088 --> 00:56:59,036 floor and I thought, "That's it now, that's my place, I feel at home." 957 00:56:59,036 --> 00:57:03,032 The first time I really felt at home. That...In your life, really? 958 00:57:03,032 --> 00:57:06,004 Yeah. How wonderful.Yeah. 959 00:57:06,004 --> 00:57:09,008 MUSIC: Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics 960 00:57:09,008 --> 00:57:13,036 # Sweet dreams are made of this 961 00:57:13,036 --> 00:57:17,012 # Who am I to disagree... # 962 00:57:17,012 --> 00:57:20,084 Given that this is one of the most beautiful views in the world, 963 00:57:20,084 --> 00:57:23,096 I find it rather odd that the thing I'm going to remember most about 964 00:57:23,096 --> 00:57:26,064 this house is the entrance. 965 00:57:26,064 --> 00:57:28,068 It's like walking into an auditorium - 966 00:57:28,068 --> 00:57:32,036 you're in the dark and you are led forward to where the main attraction 967 00:57:32,036 --> 00:57:35,040 will take place.The whole house is a piece of theatre really, isn't it, 968 00:57:35,040 --> 00:57:38,060 in terms of how you move through it and then how you're given bits of 969 00:57:38,060 --> 00:57:40,036 landscape at key times. 970 00:57:40,036 --> 00:57:43,004 I love that, but I also love the fact, with this house, 971 00:57:43,004 --> 00:57:46,008 that, although it's a very strong house, 972 00:57:46,008 --> 00:57:50,072 it's also deeply sensual and very... 973 00:57:50,072 --> 00:57:53,012 ..very tactile, and that really surprised me. 974 00:57:53,012 --> 00:57:54,076 And full of rich light. 975 00:57:54,076 --> 00:57:59,012 Dark, shade, shadows, texture and real mood. 976 00:57:59,012 --> 00:58:02,080 Very Swiss. Very Swiss indeed. I shall miss it hugely. 977 00:58:02,080 --> 00:58:05,084 I think time to go back to the drizzle, though.I guess it is. 978 00:58:05,084 --> 00:58:08,072 Back to nine degrees and drizzling, whatever time of year it is. 979 00:58:08,072 --> 00:58:11,044 Yeah, never mind. Do you want a lift?Please. 980 00:58:14,096 --> 00:58:17,004 Next time, we're in Japan... 981 00:58:17,004 --> 00:58:19,076 It's magical, mysterious and romantic. 982 00:58:19,076 --> 00:58:23,076 ..a land of extremes, where modernity mixes with tradition. 983 00:58:23,076 --> 00:58:25,080 But where are we now? 984 00:58:25,080 --> 00:58:29,044 And the craft of making architecture reaches another level... 985 00:58:29,044 --> 00:58:32,096 It's like a great big firework, shooting up into the sky. 986 00:58:32,096 --> 00:58:35,008 ..as once again we go in search of 987 00:58:35,008 --> 00:58:38,020 the world's most extraordinary homes. 988 00:58:38,020 --> 00:58:41,084 It's not big, but it is clever.