122_BIC House by LACROIX | CHESSEX
122_BIC stands at the end of a quiet Swiss lane, where houses and dense greenery frame a modest suburban plot. LACROIX | CHESSEX use the compact site to organize a multigenerational house, pairing a family home with an adjoining residence for the grandmother. Raw concrete, generous glazing, and a clear internal sequence work together to stretch a tight budget while opening daily life toward the garden and pool beyond the walls.
Morning light washes across the raw concrete façade as the house steps back from the gravel approach. Deep roof planes cast shade while large windows catch views of trees and neighboring gardens.
Inside, the sequence unfolds in measured layers that stitch together family life, a separate home for the grandmother, and the small suburban plot. This is a compact house in Switzerland by LACROIX | CHESSEX, built in 2024 as a budget-conscious villa for three generations. The project leans on a clear plan and cascading volumes to make a small site feel generous, both along the ground and in diagonal views between rooms.
The villa sits on a tight plot at the end of chemin de Roilbot, surrounded by a mix of houses and thick vegetation that softens the suburban setting. Raw concrete is chosen as the primary structure, a decision driven by cost yet handled with care so its texture, rhythm, and massing stay legible. Compact structural spans and a pared-back construction system keep the envelope lean, while the plan focuses on how rooms interlock over time rather than on surface spectacle.
Stepping Volumes On A Small Plot
From the garden, the house reads as a stack of shifted concrete blocks wrapped around terraces and a slender pool. Each volume slides slightly past the next to form covered outdoor rooms and overhangs that temper sun and rain. This fragmentation of the mass allows the villa to stay within local height and footprint expectations yet hold distinct corners for dining, lounging, and play. The result is a compact footprint with a surprisingly long edge to the garden.
Living Rooms In Sequence
Crossing the threshold, an elongated living and dining room runs parallel to the lawn, anchored by an internal spine of structure and storage. A fireplace wrapped in slim green tiles marks the center, giving one side to the sofa and low glass table and the other to a long dining table facing full-height glazing. Exposed concrete ceilings and pale floors keep the envelope calm, while timber-framed sliding doors open toward the terrace so daily life flows straight outside on mild days. Built-in shelving and discreet cabinetry line the walls, keeping clutter in check and letting the main rooms work hard without feeling cramped.
Parallel Worlds For Three Generations
A more compact kitchen and sitting room create a distinct realm for the grandmother, still connected visually to the garden through large windows and a shared terrace. This smaller suite echoes the main house with exposed concrete, warm wood frames, and soft textiles, but the scale feels calmer and more intimate. Circulation between the two households stays short and legible, so care and independence can coexist across a single day. Simple internal corridors keep rooms aligned, and clear sightlines through doors and windows ease movement for all ages.
Light, Material And Everyday Comfort
Bedrooms tuck into the upper level, where generous openings frame neighboring trees and distant roofs from a more private vantage. Here, the raw concrete walls meet light timber window reveals and sheer curtains, softening the rougher structure without hiding it. In the bathroom, ribbed glass panels, mint-green tiles, and a skylight create a bright, almost weightless volume within the heavier shell. Across the house, simple finishes and durable surfaces keep maintenance low, so attention can stay on the changing light, the garden, and shared meals.
By evening, the villa reads as a quiet concrete lantern behind hedges and trees, its stepped forms catching shadows from the surrounding vegetation. Rooms still align toward the pool and lawn, reminding occupants of the compact plot that shapes their days. The house holds together as a disciplined volume, yet its sequence of rooms and terraces keeps family life loose, flexible, and open to small rituals of use.
Photography courtesy of LACROIX | CHESSEX
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