0:00:02 > 0:00:05I think it's time, Caroline, to go and see how the other half live.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Talk about, "Welcome to my humble abode."
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Cor, that is a whole lot of house!
0:00:11 > 0:00:15He's Piers Taylor, an award-winning architect.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17I mean, the depth of this wall, it's...
0:00:17 > 0:00:19..four foot thick.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21After you, my lord.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23And she's Caroline Quentin,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26acclaimed actress and passionate property developer.
0:00:26 > 0:00:32This house has the perfect ratio of bedrooms to swimming pools.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36We've been given the keys to some of the most incredible houses in the
0:00:36 > 0:00:39world... If we were left alone here for any amount of time,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42- I have a feeling... - We'd ruin this house! LAUGHTER
0:00:42 > 0:00:44To discover the design, innovation,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47passion and endurance needed to transform
0:00:47 > 0:00:50architectural vision into an extraordinary home.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54It's so glamorous, Piers.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57- We're travelling the globe... - SHE LAUGHS
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Meeting architects and owners to explore how their daring homes
0:01:01 > 0:01:05respond uniquely to the local landscape, climate and culture.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08I think this is probably the greatest house I've ever been in.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12Whether it's battling the elements to construct a dream home on
0:01:12 > 0:01:15dramatic Scandinavian terrain...
0:01:15 > 0:01:18The architect was nervous that things would go wrong.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20He couldn't bear to look at it.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Pushing the boundaries of European experimentation...
0:01:23 > 0:01:25- I think that's it.- I think it is.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29When I looked at the proposal, in the beginning, I was almost shocked.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Celebrating craftsmanship and beauty in Asia...
0:01:33 > 0:01:37They take away the extraneous and they leave you with what is
0:01:37 > 0:01:38beautiful.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Or going all-out for glamour in America.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46And you just do what you do best, is to create a masterpiece.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48- MOCK AMERICAN ACCENT:- Piers! Is this too Miami?
0:01:56 > 0:01:59We're on a grand tour of Switzerland...
0:01:59 > 0:02:03A country known for its shimmering lakes and snowy mountain peaks.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07- Don't forget the bulging bank accounts.- Of course.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Its 8 million citizens are among the wealthiest in the world.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13It's not a big country, is it, Switzerland?
0:02:13 > 0:02:16It's tiny. It's pushed up against all these other countries,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18with all the influence that that means.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Yes, the Germans, the French, the Italians.
0:02:22 > 0:02:23So what kind of houses are we going to see?
0:02:23 > 0:02:26It's Switzerland - we're going to find extraordinary houses.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28They build brilliantly.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31They do indeed, whether it's an eccentric flight of fancy...
0:02:31 > 0:02:35I'm going to take a little walk up the wall.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Oh! ..or a more serious architectural marvel.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42- I love this austerity. - It's like a monk's cell.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46This is a nation of creative architects and skilled craftspeople
0:02:46 > 0:02:50who are making buildings that are simply breathtaking.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52This is what I've found,
0:02:52 > 0:02:57and this is clearly what this entire house is about.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Oh!
0:03:01 > 0:03:05The first stop on our Swiss adventure takes us to an Alpine
0:03:05 > 0:03:10idyll, amid ancient pine forests and meadows of breathtaking loveliness.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15Picture-postcard Swiss landscape, real ski country.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18This is Switzerland, but only just.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22We're only just into Switzerland, because this is France, just there,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26- actually.- And, of course, skiing means it's chalet country, too,
0:03:26 > 0:03:27which we can see.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33But these typically Swiss houses, built to withstand snowy winters,
0:03:33 > 0:03:38with thick walls and overhanging roofs, aren't what we've come for.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41We're visiting a home that shows what's possible when an architect
0:03:41 > 0:03:43takes a traditional building form
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and transforms it into a contemporary language.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54And here it is - the modern version of the traditional Swiss chalet.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56And how cute.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58This weekend wilderness retreat was
0:03:58 > 0:04:01built on land belonging to the owner's family.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Perched on a cliff edge,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07this angular black timber cabin nods to its vernacular ancestry,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10but its shape has been dramatically reimagined.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14It is a chalet that's been pulled apart and tweaked and...
0:04:14 > 0:04:17- Reassembled... - ..massaged, reassembled.- ..into a modern way, yeah.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18It's also a piece of mountain.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Yes, it mirrors the mountains beautifully.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25I wonder what the two halves are about.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28I suppose one is living and eating and stuff and the other...
0:04:28 > 0:04:29Well, let's go and find out.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36The house is split into two sections with a cleft at the back,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39and doors and walls at unusual angles to one another.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46On the ground floor, this V shape separates the living space from a
0:04:46 > 0:04:49music room. Above, three bedrooms,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53two bathrooms and an office have fantastic mountain views.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57The dark wood of the exterior contrasts dramatically with its
0:04:57 > 0:04:58surroundings.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04I always think the most important part of any building is the way in.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05And here we are,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09arriving at the intersection between these two volumes, and also
0:05:09 > 0:05:14what looks like a bit of the inside, peeled back, to show you a bit of
0:05:14 > 0:05:17the internal skin coming out to greet you.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21And it's all just made to encourage us to...
0:05:23 > 0:05:24..open the door.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31It's a pretty space.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35You walk right into that split between the two areas.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38And I like it, because it feels almost like Goldilocks
0:05:38 > 0:05:39might walk in.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44It's a very particular sensation, arriving up into the mountains -
0:05:44 > 0:05:49this craggy, wild landscape - stepping in to this glowing,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52honey-coloured space.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55The timber-lined entrance directs you into a warm and welcoming
0:05:55 > 0:05:58living space.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Gosh...pink!
0:06:00 > 0:06:04I did not expect to find pink in this environment.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06You thought it would just be more wood?
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Yeah, I did, but it's actually...
0:06:08 > 0:06:10It's quite fluffy and romantic in here.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13And you wouldn't have thought so from outside, because it looks
0:06:13 > 0:06:15incredibly practical, but of course it's romantic.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20You only have to look at the incredible view to realise it's
0:06:20 > 0:06:21people who...
0:06:21 > 0:06:23..who love being in this environment.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38And here's the fantastic kitchen.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40I think you'll like this, P.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45This material, this wood, this pine, just carries right on through,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48only now we've got the addition of this fantastic black granite which
0:06:48 > 0:06:51sort of replicates the mountains outside, but also the wood,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55so that brings the trees that surround this house into the house.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59It's interesting, that limited palette of materials that architects
0:06:59 > 0:07:01really get off on - this sense that
0:07:01 > 0:07:04you restrain your palette to just one or two things.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09I love the idea of that, but I do think, sometimes, domestically,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11life leads you in other directions.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13You know, you've got children and therefore you will have plastics.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16You've got dogs, therefore you have dog beds.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19You want to live in that beautiful, stylish way, but that kind of
0:07:19 > 0:07:23simplicity of vision is really hard to adhere to.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26But one material allows you to live in quite a cluttered way.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I mean, I have four children with stuff everywhere.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The advantage is that that one material binds everything together,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33and however slovenly you are,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35like me, the house will generally look OK.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- So you can throw anything at it, really?- Yeah.- I want to go and have
0:07:38 > 0:07:40a little look and see what's in this room next door.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Piers!
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Hi! This is a music room.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55- You'll be in your element. - Yes.- I'm going to go upstairs.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57OK, see you in a minute.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05This is a house of sharp angles, but the pine on the floor,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08the walls and the ceiling make the interior spaces surprisingly
0:08:08 > 0:08:10comfortable.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13SEDATE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYS
0:08:20 > 0:08:24This is a vertical slice of a room, but...
0:08:24 > 0:08:25..what a place to work.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35The hustle and bustle of city life feels far away here.
0:08:39 > 0:08:45How wonderful to have a room in a mountain escape
0:08:45 > 0:08:48completely devoted to music.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52I mean, it's like something out of a fairy tale, isn't it?
0:08:52 > 0:08:55And what a place to create.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00To be in this environment must be so inspirational.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02I'm just so tempted to...
0:09:04 > 0:09:06..but I mustn't. They're not mine!
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Upstairs, the sleeping quarters are tucked up under the angled roof of
0:09:14 > 0:09:16the house.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21This really is a bedroom where you can have your cake and eat it.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24You can be perched like a bird in landscape,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28or you could lie back and be protected from it,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31cosseted by this warm timber.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- P?- Yeah?
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- Hi.- Hello. What have you discovered?
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Well, that...that room, it's not just a music room,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51it's a room full of harps.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54A roomful of harps on a Swiss mountainside?
0:09:54 > 0:09:55You couldn't make that up.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58- You couldn't. It's... - It's too ethereal for words.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00- Have you been composing something? - Yes, I have.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03I've been composing a small...
0:10:03 > 0:10:07A small opus to you, actually, but I don't want to give that away now.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08It's not... It's not ready for your ears yet.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Opera, symphony or two-minute punk song?
0:10:11 > 0:10:13I'm afraid you're going to have to find out later.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16- Wow, I can't wait. - You're going to love it.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28This deceptively spacious house has made the owners feel profoundly
0:10:28 > 0:10:30connected to the mountains.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36This is what this house is all about, for me.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39It's about contemplation...
0:10:40 > 0:10:42..meditation...
0:10:44 > 0:10:46..and yodelling.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50SHE YODELS
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Caroline is clearly inspired by her surroundings,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01and it's hard not to be.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11This house makes one simple move, and it does it really well.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16It started life as, like many chalets are, a square.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19That square was then cleft through the middle.
0:11:19 > 0:11:25One half splays out one side, the other half splays out another side.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30What that cleft allows is a very clear way to enter a house,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34which is in the middle, in between these two parts of the building.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39Then, in one half, there's a half which gives this house
0:11:39 > 0:11:42its way of becoming a home.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Then you have two big rooms - one which is the living room,
0:11:46 > 0:11:48that has a panoramic view
0:11:48 > 0:11:51going in three directions, and the other is a more intimate room,
0:11:51 > 0:11:56which is this music room, and another window out into a much more
0:11:56 > 0:11:59intimate sense of landscape, into the garden.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03And that's how this house works in plan.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07In elevation, the house takes a Swiss chalet,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10it cleaves it through the middle, drawing on the way these buildings
0:12:10 > 0:12:13have been made for generations in this landscape, and reconfiguring
0:12:13 > 0:12:15them for the 21st century.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22This modern chalet was built as a peaceful sanctuary for its owners,
0:12:22 > 0:12:27Olivier and Celine, as an antidote to their busy urban lives.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29So what was your brief to your architect?
0:12:29 > 0:12:32The moment we knew we were building here, it meant,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34"OK, we're building for a lifetime, family time,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36"perhaps even the next generation."
0:12:36 > 0:12:38We told him we want, you know,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41a big access to the outside from inside the house.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- And this split? - This split came from him.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47- And that split breaks the house down into smaller pieces...- Mm-hmm.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49..but it also gives an interesting
0:12:49 > 0:12:52relationship between those two living spaces. Tell me about that.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54I think the best example to tell you about it is,
0:12:54 > 0:12:58I can be in the living room and looking through the window and I can
0:12:58 > 0:13:01see my wife playing the harp in her music place.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03- And it's really...- She's a harpist?
0:13:03 > 0:13:06She's a harpist, yeah, and she's got her own music room.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09So that's a very beautiful - you can gaze lovingly at your wife through
0:13:09 > 0:13:11- that picture window.- Absolutely.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15This split is an unconventional architectural move, but
0:13:15 > 0:13:17elsewhere, Simon Chessex,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20who designed this modern take on a traditional chalet,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24was keen to make a virtue of the region's architectural heritage.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27When I arrived, I saw the house was lifted up.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Why is there that overhang?
0:13:29 > 0:13:33We thought it was interesting to have this kind of sensation of being
0:13:33 > 0:13:37- just above ground and then... - Hovering.- ..just hovering, exactly, yeah.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39- Yeah.- So this is one reason.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43The second reason is, you can't just put timber directly on the ground.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- You have to have a kind of a... - A buffer? Yeah, exactly.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51- Yeah, yeah.- So we have this concrete base which plays with tradition.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55In all the rural chalets in the Swiss mountains,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59they invented these things, which is lifting
0:13:59 > 0:14:02the wooden piece just above the ground,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06so that mice couldn't go inside to eat all the...
0:14:06 > 0:14:10- I don't know how to put it.- Grain? - Yeah, exactly.- Yeah.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13The clean lines of Simon's design might suggest that this was a simple
0:14:13 > 0:14:17build, but appearances can be deceptive.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21At the beginning, we knew that we had to use a helicopter, erm,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23because the road was too small.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25- Oh.- I mean, the trucks couldn't come here.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28So we took that into consideration.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32So the external shell of the house was created by pre-fabricating 40
0:14:32 > 0:14:37separate timber pieces, flying them in and assembling them on-site.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42- Everything was built like a toy... - Like a puzzle, or...- ..a puzzle.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Yeah, yeah. Like a wooden puzzle being put together.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Yeah, a wooden puzzle. And then, in less than two days,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49the house was built.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53And the team's hard work paid off, as they produced a really
0:14:53 > 0:14:55accomplished piece of architecture.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00How do you feel, having spent that time in this house?
0:15:00 > 0:15:02You know, it recharges the batteries.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05It's been four years, and yet it's the same feeling.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07We open the door, we enter the house and we're like,
0:15:07 > 0:15:09"Wow, this is just powerful."
0:15:09 > 0:15:11And you feel just at ease, quiet,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14relaxing, it has a direct impact.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20The completion of this contemporary chalet has left a lasting impression
0:15:20 > 0:15:21on its creator.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26When a house like this is finished and you walk away,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30what's it like to come back and to visit it?
0:15:30 > 0:15:32It's such an important moment.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37I mean, and then, this is extremely something which is very special.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41You give the keys to your client and...
0:15:41 > 0:15:46- ..it was your baby.- Yeah.- In a way, it's like bringing life.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50- Yeah.- I mean, it's such YOUR project, and then suddenly
0:15:50 > 0:15:54you give it to somebody else and then you say, "OK, now..."
0:15:54 > 0:15:58I don't know, like, "Go ahead and take care of it."
0:15:58 > 0:16:01So how does it feel? How does that feel?
0:16:01 > 0:16:04And... And coming back and looking at it, actually,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08we did well. My job was OK.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- More than OK!- I'd second that.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16And it is still very much just a cabin in the woods, isn't it?
0:16:16 > 0:16:19It is. It shows that tradition isn't a dormant thing.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22It's something that you reinvent, and it's a living,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25breathing thing, because this is still a Swiss chalet.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30I love the fact that they use this place to get out of the city and to
0:16:30 > 0:16:35reconnect with the mountains and with their creative life.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Speaking of creative endeavours, Caroline,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39don't you have a little something for me?
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- Oh, yes. - SHE CLEARS HER THROAT
0:16:42 > 0:16:45# I've discovered
0:16:45 > 0:16:48# An architect
0:16:48 > 0:16:54# With an intellect like a mountain!
0:16:54 > 0:16:58# And I have found
0:16:58 > 0:17:01# A new way of life
0:17:01 > 0:17:05# Looking at houses
0:17:05 > 0:17:12# And I love it! #
0:17:15 > 0:17:17I knew it would be an aria!
0:17:18 > 0:17:22MUSIC: Green Onions by Booker T & the MGs
0:17:25 > 0:17:27We're now heading into Switzerland's
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Deep South, to a town called Brissago,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31on the shores of Lake Maggiore.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35This region is called Ticino,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39and it's famous for its mild and Mediterranean climate.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42The architecture, cuisine and culture are closely related to
0:17:42 > 0:17:47- neighbouring Italy. Italian is the official language. - UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Certainly beautiful, isn't it, the scenery?
0:17:50 > 0:17:52It is. It's gorgeous.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54I love being here, Central Europe.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00The owner of this next house found his site when he was on a bike ride,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03so we followed his example and saddled up.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09What Piers doesn't realise is, I've got an electric motor.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- Come on!- Have you been practising your cycling?
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Yeah. Isn't this a great view of Ticino?
0:18:22 > 0:18:26Ticino. It's like a Yorkshireman talking about trousers.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30- "Have you seen t'chinos?" - "T'chinos?"- T'chinos! Seen t'chinos...
0:18:30 > 0:18:33- We're almost in Italy, aren't we? - Well, that is Italy, right there.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- Yeah.- Two miles down the coast. - Yeah. You can really tell, can't you?
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The buildings change entirely. The amount of stone used here.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41- Stone, terracotta.- Yeah.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45That's the vernacular, a little vineyard with a barn above it.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48I like the way the terraces are still used for growing vines.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52- I wonder what sort of wine they produce.- I don't know. I hope to find out later.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56- Sounds great.- Fancy that? Something red? What's red in Italian?- Wine.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00- LAUGHTER - Come on, I'll race you!
0:19:00 > 0:19:03MUSIC: Bicycle Race by Queen
0:19:03 > 0:19:06- Come on, then! What's keeping you? - What's keeping me? What's keeping
0:19:06 > 0:19:09- you?- Hang on! That's not fair.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18I ran out of battery.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- Your battery or the bike? - It just stopped.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Don't look quite so pleased with yourself.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28From the road, you can't see much of this house as it's mostly hidden
0:19:28 > 0:19:31below this rooftop entrance.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33It doesn't give much away.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38- We're here.- Quite an interesting introduction to a property.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43Oh, this is an amazing datum, isn't it, that's set up by the top of this house to claim these mountains.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46- Piers, Piers, Piers. What's a datum? - THEY LAUGH
0:19:46 > 0:19:50A simple horizontal line that claims this view.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Or is it for parking?
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Well, it probably does something like that as well, but... LAUGHTER
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Yeah, I think this is the front door.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05And we're at the top of what looks like a four-storey house.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07You can hardly tell there's a house here at all, really.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10No, no. Just that datum! LAUGHTER
0:20:10 > 0:20:13And then down into this extraordinary stairwell.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Well, it feels quite Moorish, actually,
0:20:15 > 0:20:20just this slot cut into the building with these stairs that bring you down.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23No parapets, just this and the sky.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24You could be in Marrakech.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32This house is a monumental mass of cast concrete,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34towering over the water.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Concrete was chosen to reflect the local stone,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41then punctured on all sides by differently sized windows that take
0:20:41 > 0:20:43in spectacular views.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48But the real beauty of this design is that it manages to be fairly
0:20:48 > 0:20:51low-key, so it doesn't dominate its neighbours.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Like it, like it so far, enormously.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02And the rough-hewn quality of these walls...
0:21:02 > 0:21:06- Shot-blasted concrete. - Shot-blasted?- Yeah, so when it's going off,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09they fire stuff into it to take off the top layer and expose the
0:21:09 > 0:21:13aggregate. It's about picking up on this whole sense of this bit of
0:21:13 > 0:21:15Switzerland being about stone.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21The design for this concrete house was ambitious in the extreme.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25It had to cling to the side of a steep cliff, on a narrow plot,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27surrounded by existing buildings.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31The architects created a home full of light,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33built around a large courtyard,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36with a generous kitchen and dining room on the top floor.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Beneath that lies an open-plan living area.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42The lower two floors contain bedrooms,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45plus a fitness suite and a cinema.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Two paths lead to a garden terrace and pool.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52I like the way it just leads you straight into
0:21:52 > 0:21:54a very nice living space.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Which is quite dinky. I mean, I'm not 6'3", you may have noticed.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01I am, and oddly I can't reach the ceiling, which is really strange,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- isn't it?- But that's quite an unusual sensation, for me,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06except in a building that's really ancient.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10I also like the fact that this concrete surface in here is
0:22:10 > 0:22:13different to that very rough concrete surface out here.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15This is just slightly different, isn't it?
0:22:15 > 0:22:17It's brushed to give it this...
0:22:17 > 0:22:19- Texture.- ..texture.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22- And the floor is completely smooth. - Baby's-bottom smooth.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26- And does it mean that it's really practical? Will it take wear and tear?- Really practical.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29It'll get better and better and better as it's lived in.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33- It'll show life happening on top of it? Yeah.- It'll show life, and most modern buildings don't show life.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37- Yeah.- They're designed to preserve the day of completion forever.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43Oh! We're descending into the bowels of the house.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49But it's the cosier private spaces that are so important in a holiday
0:22:49 > 0:22:50home.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Right, let's find our bedrooms.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57- I'll take this one. - I think you've got the view.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Oh, no. It's like a monk's cell.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Gosh, so pure.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05I love this austerity.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07I hate it!
0:23:07 > 0:23:10UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS
0:23:10 > 0:23:11Bliss!
0:23:13 > 0:23:16The bedrooms could be considered to be a touch severe, but Caroline may
0:23:16 > 0:23:20be reassured to know that the middle level is less intense.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25The living room, with its lake views,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28leads seamlessly out into a double-height courtyard, designed to
0:23:28 > 0:23:31be the heart of this home.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Despite its modern looks, it's a nod to a traditional way of life here.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41All old houses in the north of Italy and southern Europe had courtyards
0:23:41 > 0:23:44rather than balconies, because this is a cooling device,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48and it's a great bit of usable space that
0:23:48 > 0:23:51is neither inside or outside.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55What's wonderful is, you're protected, aren't you, from the elements?
0:23:55 > 0:23:57So you've got the best of both worlds.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59And also, in here, you've got life.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01You've got real trees, water.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04You've got the sound of the elements as well.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07And in a building that isn't huge, with small spaces,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10this could be construed as quite an indulgence.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12- This is as big as their kitchen and dining room...- Yeah.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16..but I would argue this is the most important room in this house.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21I imagine this to be a space that's used a lot by the family,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25because you can, you know, be inside and relaxing or whatever,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28but if you want fresh air and to look at the sky,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31and it is so beautiful.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Two sets of perforated sliding doors allow access to and from the
0:24:35 > 0:24:37landscape.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41And you can play with the ventilation,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43and deal with heat and wind.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50Because this, of course, is another device to bring air across the plan.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53It works, too. I can feel the breeze changing as I stand here.
0:24:53 > 0:24:54You can feel that.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02Listening to my pal banging on about architecture has made me ravenous.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04I'm going to get some lunch!
0:25:06 > 0:25:07There we are.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12This is a very nice place to sit and cook, sit and watch someone cook.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Yes, it is. It's a really good space to work in, too.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18It's, erm... It's kind of got everything you want, really.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20It's perfect.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24I, erm... The only thing I probably would ask for would be just a little
0:25:24 > 0:25:26bit more fresh air.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30I think there's that really interesting tension in houses like
0:25:30 > 0:25:33this, that I can see this architect's mind wanting just a
0:25:33 > 0:25:38sheet of glass and no obvious way of sliding it or moving it.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40And that sits on one side of the fence.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45The other side of the fence is you and I,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47who would want to slide this back completely.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Is that always going to be the thing between architects and clients?
0:25:51 > 0:25:52- Always.- It is, isn't it?
0:25:52 > 0:25:55That the perfection of the image and the reality of the use...
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- There's always that tension. - Take that over. I'm ready to eat.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Me, too.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- Local wine. - And what's Italian for red?
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- Rosso.- Saluti.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Saluti.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10Mmm.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14And outside, there's more concrete.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18The pool and outdoor kitchen are created from the same single
0:26:18 > 0:26:19concrete slab.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23I think there's a sort of serenity in this building that is, you know,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27mirrored in the courtyard and here by the pool.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31It's just, it's still, it's serene, it's quiet...
0:26:32 > 0:26:36..and it works enormously well on that level, I think.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40I would be frustrated with the pool here, because I would have wanted it
0:26:40 > 0:26:42as one of those courtyards, and...
0:26:42 > 0:26:44..the ability to use that water in the
0:26:44 > 0:26:48house, even when you weren't swimming.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51- To get the reflective light and things, you mean?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Listen, I wouldn't grumble, though, if I were gifted it.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57- Mustn't grumble!- Mustn't grumble.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00In T'chino! Don't t'grumble in T'chino.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11This house has a very steeply sloping site and, like many houses,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14it's only really by drawing it in section that you get a handle on
0:27:14 > 0:27:18exactly what's going on. So, at the top, you walk down,
0:27:18 > 0:27:24past that long wall, and that's the device that brings you in.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28But the key organisational bit of the building is dealt with by this,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30this courtyard, here.
0:27:30 > 0:27:36And ultimately it connects the sky with the view of the lake.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39And then, below that, you have the bedrooms.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41And then at the bottom, there's the pool,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44which allows you to swim in this water here
0:27:44 > 0:27:49and really feel like you're floating thousands of feet above the lake,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51there.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55At the end of the day, the fundamental principle here is all
0:27:55 > 0:27:59about light and view, light and shade.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02And this courtyard is the device that does that.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05And this way of making domestic space is something these people in
0:28:05 > 0:28:08this part of Europe have done for generations.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13The building uses natural light in a range of creative ways.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19The courtyard's internal void, the staircase slats,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21and the holes punched in the doors
0:28:21 > 0:28:24all produce different shadows and illumination throughout the day.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30This idea is central to the work of Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects who
0:28:30 > 0:28:32designed this home.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35The light brings life into architecture.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39We try also to give the architecture some kind of soul,
0:28:39 > 0:28:44some kind of a nice atmosphere where people like to live inside.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47And the man who does live inside, Reto, has dropped by to
0:28:47 > 0:28:51tell me how he came to own this miraculous monolith.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Did you know what sort of house you wanted?
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Yes, we wanted to have a modern house, definitely.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59And my wife said, "That's OK, you can make...
0:28:59 > 0:29:02"You can build your concrete house, but it has to be...
0:29:02 > 0:29:05"..have a warm texture to it, a warm atmosphere and everything".
0:29:05 > 0:29:08So, erm...
0:29:08 > 0:29:11then we decided together with the architects to put a lot of wood in
0:29:11 > 0:29:15it, the windows and everything, to give it a warm feeling.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19And I think this house has some warm texture and feelings to it,
0:29:19 > 0:29:22you know? I think one of the biggest challenges we had here is
0:29:22 > 0:29:23that we don't have a balcony.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26In the beginning, we discussed, should we have a balcony or not?
0:29:26 > 0:29:28Because it was a courtyard, right?
0:29:28 > 0:29:32So it was a tough time to get around the concept of a courtyard.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36We were scared in the beginning, but now it turned out the centrepiece of
0:29:36 > 0:29:38the house and it's really fantastic. We love it back there, yeah.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42You see, we knock our architects, but sometimes they lead us into
0:29:42 > 0:29:45places. We give them a little bit of resistance, but they take us places
0:29:45 > 0:29:48we do want to go, actually, even though we don't know it ourselves.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Yes, I fully agree, yeah.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55So this house, as well as being a bold concept,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58is also an excellent example of a client and architect working well
0:29:58 > 0:30:00together.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07- It's different, this place, isn't it?- It is, and I love it.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11I love the full-on experience you get in a house that has no
0:30:11 > 0:30:15- concessions to normality.- I really enjoyed the experience of being
0:30:15 > 0:30:20here, of the courtyard and then the sheltered spaces, the light,
0:30:20 > 0:30:24the dark, the play of shadows on the wall, the textures.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27And I think it proves that, more than anything,
0:30:27 > 0:30:31the primary purpose of architecture is to elevate the mundane and rescue
0:30:31 > 0:30:35you from a world of normality and the everyday.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39Oh, Piers, I'm so sorry to spoil it for you, but everyday life is with
0:30:39 > 0:30:42- us again...- Oh, is it?- ..because we have got to get going.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45- What a shame.- Finish your coffee, delicious though it is.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51Here we go, on the road.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54# On the road again. #
0:30:54 > 0:30:58Destination Nummer drei lies on the edge of Lake Zurich in northern
0:30:58 > 0:31:01- Switzerland. - Oh, the German-speaking part.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Ja, das ist richtig, mein Freund.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06But we've got a train to catch.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11In the country of very strict and good timekeeping,
0:31:11 > 0:31:14we're running slightly late. Oh, hang on, tickets, tickets, tickets!
0:31:14 > 0:31:19- Here we are. Now, where are we going?- Feldmeilen-Herrliberg.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23- Via direct?- Next. OK, good. - Now we put the card in.- You do that.
0:31:23 > 0:31:28- I know the number, you don't. Mua-hah-ha-ha-ha! - LAUGHTER
0:31:28 > 0:31:32- There we are.- Two tickets. - Two tickets.- OK.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34- You going to trust me with these? - No, I'm not, actually.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38- I'll lose them.- I don't trust you with them at all! - LAUGHTER
0:31:38 > 0:31:40MUSIC: Mr Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra
0:31:44 > 0:31:48Stefan Camenzind, the owner and architect of the house we're heading
0:31:48 > 0:31:51to, went to extreme lengths to achieve the house he longed for in
0:31:51 > 0:31:53this highly valued lakeshore location.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59These tiny little houses, they're adorable, aren't they?
0:31:59 > 0:32:02- Yeah, yeah. I think... - They're so traditional.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05Sort of Zurich hinterland, isn't it?
0:32:05 > 0:32:07- It's the suburbs, or the zuburbs of Zurich.- Zuburbs.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09The zuburbs of Zurich.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Now, I think the house should be coming up shortly.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16I think it's on this sliver of land between the railway and the...
0:32:16 > 0:32:17..lake.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Herrliberg-Feldmeilen.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24- You got that? We missed it! - Oh, no! That was it! - LAUGHTER
0:32:26 > 0:32:28We've got to get off. We've got to get off now.
0:32:28 > 0:32:33Stefan's desire to realise his dream on a limited budget led him to
0:32:33 > 0:32:37consider a neglected strip of land next to the train tracks.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40And the challenges of this site inspired an unusual design in a
0:32:40 > 0:32:43neighbourhood of more conventional buildings.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45MUSIC: Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds
0:32:49 > 0:32:51Swiss suburbs are so particular,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54because they are full of very traditional villas -
0:32:54 > 0:32:56big roofs, shutters.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59I think of the Swiss as being quite conformist as well.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02Very conformist. The most outrageous thing you could do is maybe paint
0:33:02 > 0:33:06your shutter a not-quite-so-subtle shade of green or brown.
0:33:06 > 0:33:12- That's it.- I wonder, then, how they've taken to this. - SHE CHUCKLES
0:33:12 > 0:33:16- This is not conforming to anything, is it?- Not in Switzerland.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18It's total anarchy for Switzerland.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20MUSIC: Heart of Glass by Blondie
0:33:20 > 0:33:23# Once I had a love and it was a gas
0:33:23 > 0:33:26# Soon turned out had a heart of glass... #
0:33:28 > 0:33:30This is Flexhouse,
0:33:30 > 0:33:35a playful property built on a modest site, with walls of glass and
0:33:35 > 0:33:39ribbon-like curves of concrete that outline its structure.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42The whole composition is fluid, light and open.
0:33:45 > 0:33:50This sweeping serpent of a shape demands attention, doesn't it?
0:33:50 > 0:33:54- It does. It is, yeah, "Look at me." - "Look at me, look at me!"
0:33:58 > 0:34:01The challenge was to use this narrow triangular plot
0:34:01 > 0:34:03sandwiched between a road and a railway line.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08With impressive engineering,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11the architect created a striking S-shaped home with three living
0:34:11 > 0:34:14levels and a garage in the basement.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19The ground level is open-plan and offers lofty living space.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24The first floor is home to two bedrooms and bathrooms...
0:34:25 > 0:34:29..while the uppermost storey houses a studio and two terraces that enjoy
0:34:29 > 0:34:31180-degree views of Lake Zurich.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39Oh, and the curves continue in here, too.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41This is the neatest house I've ever been in.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43It is very, very clean and tidy and white.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46I like the way all of these curves
0:34:46 > 0:34:48just fit in with the building.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50It works really well, doesn't it?
0:34:50 > 0:34:54- The way they've kitted the place out.- And that's quite satisfying, isn't it?
0:34:54 > 0:34:59The way that panel of built-in stuff fits in there.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02The kitchen, the table and the bespoke shelving were specially
0:35:02 > 0:35:04commissioned to go with the flow.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08But I think what's interesting is that it is very un-Swiss, because it
0:35:08 > 0:35:12- is quite fun. It's quite unserious. - It is fun. In fact, it's such fun,
0:35:12 > 0:35:14I'm just going to take a little walk up the wall.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21- Oh!- Actually, you know, what I'm tempted to do is to run from here,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24like, run up and actually see if I can go all the way over.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Do you know, if we were left alone here for any amount of time,
0:35:27 > 0:35:30- I have a feeling... - We would ruin this house!- ..we... - LAUGHTER
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Very, very quick. There'd be black footprints all the way up the wall,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35- right to the top! - Down the other side.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS
0:35:41 > 0:35:45As a living environment, it must be very good fun to be here.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48It's a good space. I like the... I like the way this functions,
0:35:48 > 0:35:50that there's a living room here,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53somewhere to eat, and a kitchen, and then straight outside, and of course
0:35:53 > 0:35:58the added bonus here is you have got a pretty fantastic view.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01- I've got the best view.- Shall we have a little look upstairs?
0:36:01 > 0:36:02- Yeah.- Come on.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Slicing through the living area,
0:36:07 > 0:36:10the delicate spiral staircase transports you to the other levels.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21So I guess this is the guest bedroom, and what's interesting of
0:36:21 > 0:36:26course is seeing this curve come up and the floor becomes the wall and
0:36:26 > 0:36:28the wall become the ceiling.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31And it's difficult to take a space like this and occupy it because, of
0:36:31 > 0:36:33course, where do you put your bed?
0:36:33 > 0:36:37You know, do your pillows and cushions fall off? Etc, etc.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40And I think architecture is full of compromises.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43How do you pay for it? How do you make it?
0:36:43 > 0:36:44How do you occupy it?
0:36:46 > 0:36:49In a different part of the house, I, too,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52am concerned with practicalities.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59If I lived in a house like this, this is what I would do,
0:36:59 > 0:37:03because I like to keep my bowels regular,
0:37:03 > 0:37:07I would adapt them to the train timetable,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09and because the Swiss are so good at timekeeping,
0:37:09 > 0:37:14I'd know that when the 9:02 was coming past my house...
0:37:14 > 0:37:20..that would be the exact moment when I should be doing my business.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22A house squeezed between a road and a railway would
0:37:22 > 0:37:26normally be noisy, but the architect has solved this problem with an
0:37:26 > 0:37:29integrated ventilation system in the walls and floors,
0:37:29 > 0:37:32which reduces the need to open windows.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36Plus there's an insulated concrete retaining wall at the back which
0:37:36 > 0:37:39optimises sound absorption.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41It's, erm... It's interesting, isn't it?
0:37:41 > 0:37:43When you open up these big glass panels,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46you're aware of quite how much noise there is outside.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Yeah, cos there's a road down there but you don't hear it.
0:37:48 > 0:37:49- Triple-glazed, this.- Is it?
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Has a submarine quality when you shut the doors.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55- Yes, you hear that suck of the air going out.- Yeah.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58This house is beautifully made.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00It showcases what the Swiss do so well,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04particularly if they're as resourceful as Stefan in achieving a
0:38:04 > 0:38:06huge amount for not a great deal.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11I did hear that the cost per square metre in Switzerland on average is
0:38:11 > 0:38:14less than in England, cos here everyone knows how to build.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Your average guy with a van and a bag of tools could build this in
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Switzerland. In England, you'd need the best builders,
0:38:20 > 0:38:24the best engineers and a huge set of documents which would cost a
0:38:24 > 0:38:26fortune, and that would push the bill cost up.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29So what we need to do is build all our houses here and then transport
0:38:29 > 0:38:33- them back home?- That would be a good idea.- It's all making sense.
0:38:33 > 0:38:38Creating a home on this unusual plot required serious engineering skills,
0:38:38 > 0:38:42as Stefan, who is the owner and the architect, discovered.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46Building on a railway line is always a challenge.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48How did you deal with the railway?
0:38:48 > 0:38:51When I bought the plot of land,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54the space, actually, where we could have built the building was very,
0:38:54 > 0:38:57very tight. So the only way we could actually create the building was
0:38:57 > 0:39:01negotiating with Swiss Railways to build, actually, even closer to the
0:39:01 > 0:39:02- track.- So you did that?
0:39:02 > 0:39:05You're closer than you would usually be allowed to be?
0:39:05 > 0:39:09Yes. Normally, the distance to the boundary of the railway property is
0:39:09 > 0:39:13- three metres.- And how close are you? - We are one and a half metres.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16So you negotiated an additional metre and a half?
0:39:16 > 0:39:19- Exactly.- How did you monitor the safety of the track?
0:39:19 > 0:39:23So they came with a whole protocol...of requirements.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27The track itself was not allowed to move, twist, go down, go up.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30- How did they measure that?- So they installed, actually, some kind of
0:39:30 > 0:39:33laser system that literally measured it, which would give an alarm,
0:39:33 > 0:39:34and there were different alarm levels.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37If it moved two millimetres, the first alarm would go off.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Wow, two millimetres? An almost impossible window of operation.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42Yeah, it was a challenge - let's put it this way.
0:39:42 > 0:39:48So it's really a labour of love, to make it look so easy and natural.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50All the best projects are.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57The story of this house is one of an architect uncovering the potential
0:39:57 > 0:40:00of a site, and working out how to
0:40:00 > 0:40:02fit what is a really elegant building into
0:40:02 > 0:40:06a very, very difficult site.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09An S shape is unstable - it wants to collapse.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13So what Stefan has done is prop the south facade with these very
0:40:13 > 0:40:14slender steel columns.
0:40:15 > 0:40:20The other side is a thick concrete wall - thick quilted concrete wall -
0:40:20 > 0:40:25that keeps the railway out and, importantly, keeps the heat in.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28So not only is it a story of real perseverance,
0:40:28 > 0:40:30it's also a story about sustainability.
0:40:33 > 0:40:38Stefan and his wife Ana have agreed to tell me more about the big white
0:40:38 > 0:40:42S they live in. How did you come to
0:40:42 > 0:40:46design a serpentine building?
0:40:46 > 0:40:51This snake shape - what focused you on that as a shape to choose for
0:40:51 > 0:40:53your living environment?
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Well, I think this place is a lot about movement.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58You've got the train very close by,
0:40:58 > 0:41:00we have actually the road in front of us, the lake -
0:41:00 > 0:41:02it's all moving around it.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05So the idea was to make a building which doesn't look so permanently
0:41:05 > 0:41:07anchored into the ground,
0:41:07 > 0:41:12but actually much more gentle and has a flow in itself.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15That's really interesting. So this is almost not a static piece of
0:41:15 > 0:41:20work - it's something that sort of has a movement built into it.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24- Absolutely.- Do you find that...because it is an
0:41:24 > 0:41:27extraordinarily open house, is that exciting, or do you ever think,
0:41:27 > 0:41:29"Oh, I want to hunker down,"
0:41:29 > 0:41:32- and can you do that here? - Well, for sure,
0:41:32 > 0:41:36I feel very excited about seeing everything that is around me.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39I still feel very connected to the outside,
0:41:39 > 0:41:44and if I do feel like having that cosy moment on my own,
0:41:44 > 0:41:47I can always close the shutters or I can close the curtains.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49And do your neighbours feel the same?
0:41:49 > 0:41:52- Do you find that they're interested in... - LAUGHTER
0:41:52 > 0:41:54We certainly see there's a lot of people, when they go past,
0:41:54 > 0:41:58they do have a look and tend to be interested in what's going on here
0:41:58 > 0:42:03- with this building.- What's your favourite thing about this house?
0:42:03 > 0:42:07Well, I like very much the connectivity, inside-outside.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08When we used to live in town,
0:42:08 > 0:42:11it was always the weekend when you felt like, "Let's get out,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13"let's go into nature, let's go into the mountains."
0:42:13 > 0:42:16And actually living here now, suddenly you feel, actually, it's
0:42:16 > 0:42:18not so much that we needed to go to the mountains -
0:42:18 > 0:42:20- we just needed to see some greenery and be outside.- Yeah.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23And here you just have it - it doesn't matter what weather -
0:42:23 > 0:42:26and you're connected so well, and that's just amazing.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32Flexhouse really breaks the mould.
0:42:32 > 0:42:33I'll never forget it.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38This house is sort of the last house I ever expected to find in
0:42:38 > 0:42:43Switzerland. It just isn't very Swiss - it's too eccentric.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46It is a bit bonkers, but there's an incredible precision here in how
0:42:46 > 0:42:49they've dealt with putting the house together.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52It's a little bit like the train service - it runs very, very well,
0:42:52 > 0:42:55- to time, always perfect. And there they are!- Always on time.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59- Hi! Oh, he's waving! Hi! - TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:43:00 > 0:43:03How fantastic! Brilliantly on time.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05- What is the time?- Hang on...
0:43:05 > 0:43:074:05.
0:43:07 > 0:43:08That's our train.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11MUSIC: Hocus Pocus by Focus
0:43:24 > 0:43:28The final stop in our Swiss spree takes us to the centre of the
0:43:28 > 0:43:31country, and a really sculptural house overlooking Lake Lucerne.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36I'm excited, because although I love architecture, I share a different
0:43:36 > 0:43:37passion with the owner.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41Do you ever think that a car is,
0:43:41 > 0:43:44well, like a piece of architecture, really?
0:43:45 > 0:43:48Erm, I can see there's beauty in some cars.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52I can see some classic cars are very beautiful,
0:43:52 > 0:43:57but in my life, cars really are just to get me from A to B.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59Do you know, on my 11th birthday, my parents said,
0:43:59 > 0:44:01"You can do anything you like.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03"Whatever you'd like to do, today is your day."
0:44:03 > 0:44:06And I thought, "Great," so I elected to go to the car park and look at
0:44:06 > 0:44:09all the cars. LAUGHTER
0:44:15 > 0:44:17I think it is down here somewhere, but...
0:44:17 > 0:44:19- Yeah, I don't know where.- I hadn't expected it to be along a little
0:44:19 > 0:44:22- narrow road. I was... - Here, here, here.
0:44:22 > 0:44:24- There it is.- Oh!
0:44:27 > 0:44:30Oh, look at it.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32It's so impressive!
0:44:32 > 0:44:35MUSIC: Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up by Barry White
0:44:35 > 0:44:38This is a complex piece of construction where a concrete and
0:44:38 > 0:44:43glass cave is carved out of a mountain in two sections.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47The lower part was built to house the owner's classic car collection,
0:44:47 > 0:44:49and the upper part, living space.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54It's comprised of three glass-fronted boxes,
0:44:54 > 0:44:57angled in different directions to maximise views.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06It's like part of the mountain has fallen down and shattered and just
0:45:06 > 0:45:10- come to rest up there. - It's really dramatic.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13- It's bold.- And I like the fact it's absolutely bang next door to all the
0:45:13 > 0:45:16little chalets, just really... It's exciting.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25- Here, do you think?- Yeah, let's go and help ourselves.
0:45:26 > 0:45:31Villa Am See's dynamic form dominates its surroundings.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34The lift is the spine of the house, linking the garage with the
0:45:34 > 0:45:37residential space further up the hill.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41The lower level contains the main bedroom suite and access to a
0:45:41 > 0:45:44swimming pool cantilevered over the hillside.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48The entire middle floor is open-plan -
0:45:48 > 0:45:52kitchen, dining and living space.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55Nestled up top is an office, a guest room,
0:45:55 > 0:45:59and of course, for this movie-star-style home, a cinema.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05This is like some ancient catacomb,
0:46:05 > 0:46:09that we're entering into the bowels of the earth.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15This concrete chasm of a corridor runs deep into the hillside.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19At the end, a lift takes you up into the living quarters.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22But for now I'm staying downstairs to see the room that was the
0:46:22 > 0:46:26catalyst for this house - the garage.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30I mean, the whole history of Porsche design is in here.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32MUSIC: The Passenger by Iggy Pop
0:46:32 > 0:46:34I really hadn't been prepared for this.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39God, it's so beautiful.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41I mean, little bucket seats,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44wood-rimmed steering wheel, and the knobs!
0:46:44 > 0:46:46God, they're lovely!
0:46:47 > 0:46:51I mean, this is an amazing piece of architecture.
0:46:51 > 0:46:56I mean, everything that you need to know about making a piece of space
0:46:56 > 0:47:00and bringing materials together, you could get from this car.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04# Singin' la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
0:47:04 > 0:47:07# La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la... #
0:47:07 > 0:47:09Whilst Piers salivates over the motors, I'm going to explore the
0:47:09 > 0:47:11rest of the house...
0:47:12 > 0:47:16..once I've thoroughly enjoyed this corridor.
0:47:16 > 0:47:21Look at the way this wall tilts outward.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23Look at all the angles - it's quite extraordinary.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25The smooth concrete,
0:47:25 > 0:47:29then the lighting, shooting up and then shooting down these walls.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32I think it's one of the most exciting entrances I've ever been in
0:47:32 > 0:47:34in my life.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36Mmmm... That one.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42The owner's obsession with cars meant his original idea was for a
0:47:42 > 0:47:45well-equipped space to work on his collection,
0:47:45 > 0:47:48and the accommodation above was almost an afterthought.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53This isn't just a house and a garage, though.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56This garage is a piece of architecture.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59I love the way it's made into a piece of theatre.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02When you come in,
0:48:02 > 0:48:07this beautiful set of materials and objects and vehicles is revealed to
0:48:07 > 0:48:08you through this window.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12I need to go and see the rest of it.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20Hard to know what I'm going to find.
0:48:22 > 0:48:24SHE GASPS
0:48:26 > 0:48:29This is what I've found,
0:48:29 > 0:48:35and this is clearly what this entire house is about.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39This fantastic view of the mountains
0:48:39 > 0:48:43and of the lake is extraordinarily beautiful.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54And, rather charmingly, at the back of the house...
0:48:56 > 0:49:02..away from that incredible window, there's this secret space,
0:49:02 > 0:49:06a private space, a space where one can do cooking.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10Even in fabulous houses like this, you still need to make an omelette
0:49:10 > 0:49:12occasionally.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15Even if you have to use a little bit of a...
0:49:17 > 0:49:21..petrol pump to put your oil on.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26And to time your eggs in the morning, you have to use the
0:49:26 > 0:49:29dashboard clock from a sports car.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34I detect a theme here!
0:49:37 > 0:49:41That's a knob. I don't know what sort of knob that is,
0:49:41 > 0:49:44but I know for a fact I'll be getting letters from single
0:49:44 > 0:49:47gentlemen in flats all over the country.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51This is obviously part of an engine.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54Again, do feel free to let me know exactly what part of an engine that
0:49:54 > 0:49:56is - I'm fascinated.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00And...yep,
0:50:00 > 0:50:02even the kitchen knives.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05This man's a fan of the sports car!
0:50:10 > 0:50:12Pretty sexy kitchen, though.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25It's a pretty sexy house, too,
0:50:25 > 0:50:28especially the top floor where the views from the owner's study could
0:50:28 > 0:50:30make even a Bond villain smile.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34SLOW JAZZ PLAYS
0:50:34 > 0:50:39It's amazingly empowering, being up here, on top of the world.
0:50:39 > 0:50:44This landscape, this architecture, that allows me to feel this way.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46And what I feel like is that I
0:50:46 > 0:50:49really should be taking over the world.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57And here we're at the back of the house, directly beneath the kitchen.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00There's a little bit of stolen light shooting down here,
0:51:00 > 0:51:03on to just the little water rill,
0:51:03 > 0:51:06which reflects the light back up again.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10- Hello, charm.- Hello. What have you discovered over here?
0:51:10 > 0:51:14A water rill and a slanting wall, and some stolen sky from above,
0:51:14 > 0:51:18- which I'm really enjoying.- It's beautiful, isn't it? Really lovely.
0:51:18 > 0:51:19This is sheeting over, isn't it?
0:51:19 > 0:51:22As you say, to sort of borrow that bit of light from there.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26It's stunning. I mean, every surface is slightly different.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28And it is such a restrained palette of stuff,
0:51:28 > 0:51:32and I like houses that are really restrained.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34But what do you think about all this black metal,
0:51:34 > 0:51:37concrete and black leather and chrome furniture?
0:51:37 > 0:51:41Well, it strikes me as what is ostensibly a very butch house.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45Having said that, I'm really happy here.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48I mean, I think... I don't think I'm a particularly sort of feminine or
0:51:48 > 0:51:50girly girl, so maybe this suits me.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52I love these materials.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55I like the fact that, you know, I could exfoliate the backs of my
0:51:55 > 0:51:58arms on any of the walls at any point.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00I think it's really pleasing.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03It feels like raw space carved out of this hillside, doesn't it?
0:52:03 > 0:52:06- Yeah, yeah.- There's a series of tunnels and strange passages,
0:52:06 > 0:52:10and you're not quite sure ever what your relationship to somewhere else
0:52:10 > 0:52:13- is.- Quite exciting, that, isn't it? Because you never know what you're going to find.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16I mean, I'm guessing over there is a room, but I don't know.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18- Shall we give it a go?- I think there's a pink boudoir over here.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21Do you think so? Something pink and fluffy?
0:52:21 > 0:52:23Pink and fluffy is probably out of the question,
0:52:23 > 0:52:26as the main material in this house is exposed concrete,
0:52:26 > 0:52:29treated to produce a velvety texture.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32This doesn't look like a normal entrance to a bedroom at all.
0:52:32 > 0:52:36Because most rooms have walls that are six inches thick,
0:52:36 > 0:52:40and not six foot thick. This is like a tunnel through a
0:52:40 > 0:52:43- piece of rock. - A mountainside, almost.
0:52:44 > 0:52:48The great news is that you can carry on exfoliating yourself on this. LAUGHTER
0:52:48 > 0:52:53Yes, this sort of rusty finish on the wall here.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56It goes right the way round. It's not at all what you'd expect as a
0:52:56 > 0:52:58finish, is it? When you get out of bed in the middle of the night,
0:52:58 > 0:53:01you don't expect to come across here and graze your knee, do you?
0:53:01 > 0:53:03It's quite... I mean, it's a bold choice, isn't it?
0:53:03 > 0:53:06Yeah, it is. It's unusual, actually.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10Because bedrooms are typically things that are soft and tactile,
0:53:10 > 0:53:11and I think this is tactile in a
0:53:11 > 0:53:14different way - it's hard and tactile.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17This rough, textured floating wall provides storage space and some
0:53:17 > 0:53:22bedroom privacy, and its curve leads the way into the bathroom.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26- It's quite a bath, that, isn't it? - What do you do in a bath that size?
0:53:26 > 0:53:29- The same as you do in any other bath - have a read and a piddle. - LAUGHTER
0:53:29 > 0:53:33- I'm not sharing a bath with you! - No, that's right, you're not. - LAUGHTER
0:53:35 > 0:53:38This house has transformed the hillside from a near vertical patch
0:53:38 > 0:53:42of scrubland into a dynamic piece of design.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45MUSIC: Money, Money, Money by Abba
0:53:45 > 0:53:49It took over seven years from planning application to completion.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54One can only really understand this building fully when you draw a
0:53:54 > 0:53:58cross-section of everything from top to bottom,
0:53:58 > 0:54:00right the way down through the house.
0:54:00 > 0:54:05Cos what there is, is a really big bit of hillside with an enormous,
0:54:05 > 0:54:08dramatic entrance cut into it.
0:54:08 > 0:54:15And then there's a lift shaft that runs up five floors, and then around
0:54:15 > 0:54:20that are arranged those three distinct boxes.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23And then, if you draw the sun,
0:54:23 > 0:54:26you'll see how clever the daylight penetration into the heart of this
0:54:26 > 0:54:31house is. Then if you colour
0:54:31 > 0:54:33the hillside in,
0:54:33 > 0:54:36you can see the sheer mass,
0:54:36 > 0:54:42the sheer mass of this rock that had to be excavated to actually get this
0:54:42 > 0:54:47whole piece of three-dimensional origami to work.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51It shows that underneath every simple idea is often a really
0:54:51 > 0:54:56complicated bit of engineering.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58And, of course, that's what the Swiss are so good at.
0:55:03 > 0:55:08The owner of this house is a former financial adviser who retired early
0:55:08 > 0:55:12and retrained as a mechanic so he could devote himself to his vintage
0:55:12 > 0:55:17cars. Adi, when did you fall in love with cars?
0:55:17 > 0:55:20It was when I was about 12.
0:55:20 > 0:55:27I read in a magazine, a test report on a 911, and I was so fascinated
0:55:27 > 0:55:32that I said, "One day, I want to own such a car."
0:55:32 > 0:55:37But I worked hard, and when I got
0:55:37 > 0:55:40the opportunity and enough
0:55:40 > 0:55:43financial means, that's
0:55:43 > 0:55:46when I fulfilled my dream.
0:55:46 > 0:55:48How many have you got now?
0:55:48 > 0:55:51Now I have six, but over time I had about 40.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55- 40?- 40, yeah.- And is it true that the house was built for the cars?
0:55:55 > 0:55:59Yes, because, when I was 18,
0:55:59 > 0:56:02I bought an old Triumph Spitfire,
0:56:02 > 0:56:03rebuilt it.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07It was in an old shed, no water, no light, no electricity, and then
0:56:07 > 0:56:11I also decided, "One day I want to have a place that is warm
0:56:11 > 0:56:14"and has all the facilities."
0:56:14 > 0:56:17So did you expect such an exciting
0:56:17 > 0:56:19and challenging house?
0:56:19 > 0:56:21No. I was actually surprised.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24When I looked at the proposal, I must say, in the beginning,
0:56:24 > 0:56:28I was almost shocked and thought, "This is too radical."
0:56:28 > 0:56:32And I spoke to a couple of friends, showed it to other people, and they
0:56:32 > 0:56:36- said, "That's the house you're after."- Did they? - "That's your house."
0:56:36 > 0:56:39Was there a special feeling you had when you moved into this house?
0:56:39 > 0:56:42Yeah, because when I moved in, we first had,
0:56:42 > 0:56:46like, a party, and then everybody left.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48I stayed on my own in the house.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51I drank a glass of wine,
0:56:51 > 0:56:53I sat down and I was lying on the
0:56:53 > 0:56:59floor and I thought, "That's it now, that's my place, I feel at home."
0:56:59 > 0:57:03- The first time I really felt at home. That...- In your life, really?
0:57:03 > 0:57:06- Yeah.- How wonderful.- Yeah.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09MUSIC: Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics
0:57:09 > 0:57:13# Sweet dreams are made of this
0:57:13 > 0:57:17# Who am I to disagree... #
0:57:17 > 0:57:20Given that this is one of the most beautiful views in the world,
0:57:20 > 0:57:23I find it rather odd that the thing I'm going to remember most about
0:57:23 > 0:57:26this house is the entrance.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28It's like walking into an auditorium -
0:57:28 > 0:57:32you're in the dark and you are led forward to where the main attraction
0:57:32 > 0:57:35- will take place.- The whole house is a piece of theatre really, isn't it,
0:57:35 > 0:57:38in terms of how you move through it and then how you're given bits of
0:57:38 > 0:57:40landscape at key times.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43I love that, but I also love the fact, with this house,
0:57:43 > 0:57:46that, although it's a very strong house,
0:57:46 > 0:57:50it's also deeply sensual and very...
0:57:50 > 0:57:53..very tactile, and that really surprised me.
0:57:53 > 0:57:54And full of rich light.
0:57:54 > 0:57:59Dark, shade, shadows, texture and real mood.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02- Very Swiss.- Very Swiss indeed. - I shall miss it hugely.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05- I think time to go back to the drizzle, though.- I guess it is.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08Back to nine degrees and drizzling, whatever time of year it is.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11- Yeah, never mind.- Do you want a lift?- Please.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17Next time, we're in Japan...
0:58:17 > 0:58:19It's magical, mysterious and romantic.
0:58:19 > 0:58:23..a land of extremes, where modernity mixes with tradition.
0:58:23 > 0:58:25But where are we now?
0:58:25 > 0:58:29And the craft of making architecture reaches another level...
0:58:29 > 0:58:32It's like a great big firework, shooting up into the sky.
0:58:32 > 0:58:35..as once again we go in search of
0:58:35 > 0:58:38the world's most extraordinary homes.
0:58:38 > 0:58:41It's not big, but it is clever.