The site that is the theme of this competition lies in the municipality of La Tour-de-Peilz, set in an area of outstanding beauty and enjoying a 360° view of Lake Geneva and the Alps. The housing project attempts to resolve the issue of countryside and ecological integration through an architectural design with the lowest possible energy footprint, but which does not adhere to the preconceived ideas and clichés of what is commonly called ecological architecture. Energy efficiency has been achieved by focusing on the geometry and distribution of the volumes, on the relationship to the ground and typologies, as well as on the structure and the means of construction. This project represents a transition to a new phase, one in which ecological architecture is no longer a DIY activity for enthusiasts, but rather a harmonious and aesthetic architecture that fully integrates these issues.

The project’s starting point is a solid form with a unique rational geometry applied to 13 volumes sensitively arranged over the site’s slopes. The many dynamic spaces between the buildings offer vistas over the entire surrounding area, while direct vis-à-vis are minimised. Given that the sphere possesses the best volume/surface ratio, a compact building shape, namely, an irregular hexagon, in-between the sphere and the cube, constitutes the basis for the overall plan proposed here. The form developed makes it possible to reduce the number of north-facing elevations and so optimise insolation, and to manage the density and proximity of the buildings.

The different typologies created within this unique form are by no means repetitive. In this project, the diversity is as great as the unity of the whole: 1 form, 4 dimensions, 29 typologies for a total of 54 apartments. The various typologies evolve from the size of the hexagon, the chosen direction of rotation and the cross-section. The apartments seek to interact with the site and offer varied views of the landscape. Organised on several half-levels and possessing great spatial richness, they are linked to the external development project based on outer retaining walls, so characteristic of this region. The systematics of the construction system is counterbalanced by the formal and typological variations that bring this system to life. As in nature, all the specimens belonging to a certain species are both identical and unique at the same time.