ANEM by Alors Studio is a concrete intervention on an existing archetypal residence in Haute-Savoie, France. It is a parasitic structure, wrapped around the house, that connects the interior living space with the garden and mountain views. The architectural approach seeks to integrate contemporary elements within a historic setting.
Nestled in a tranquil landscape, the project emerges as a minimalist concrete addition that seamlessly integrates with an existing vernacular residence.
The geographic context is the key to this project.
The main house, a traditional savoyard archetype, was turned toward the view on the Geneva lake, but was lacking a link with its garden and the view on the mountains below.
Defined by raw materiality and geometric purity, the intervention focuses on the addition of a terrasse, wrapped around the existing house, ending with a sculptural staircase.
There is a voluntary clarity in form and function.
The extension, composed of robust concrete volumes, establishes a strong yet understated presence, responding to the vernacular elements of the region with a contemporary sensibility.
The extension is structurally supported by its own staircase and by 3 steel columns, giving the impression that the terrasse is gently floating in its landscape.
On the front view of the house, the concrete becomes a steel mesh, in order to leave intact the view on the lake seen from the living room.
The mesh associated with the large wood handrail is an hommage, and is present on some other buildings in the surroundings, as a traditional detail from the 70’s architecture of the region.
Inside, the concrete materiality comes back in the countertop of the kitchen.
Contrasting with the raw concrete, a wooden cabinet echoes the window frames of the original authentic building, creating a visual and textural continuity between old and new.
The dialogue between these materials reinforces the project’s approach to integrating contemporary interventions within a historic setting.
By embedding the new volumes into the existing topography, the project extends the living spaces with a quiet confidence, enhancing the house’s relationship to its landscape.
Facts & Credits
Title ANEM
Typology Architecture, Extension
Location Haute-Savoie, France
Status Completed, 2025
Architecture Alors Studio
Photography Anne-Sophie Soudoplatoff
Text by the authors
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