Public Housing in Epalinges

Epalinges, Lausanne. Switzerland | 2013

Commune d’Epalinges

Plot 501: The proposal offers, at the same time, a singular architecture according to its specific place and the maximun number of houses permitted by urban regulations. The corner of the new building takes into account its singular condition as entrance to the village, so that it is designed as an abstract composition of planes and voids. A part of the south roof is removed to get a sundeck terrace with nice views. The ground floor plan houses commercial and common areas as well as the concierge's house, all arranged around a central covered space. Additionally, the user may enjoy a cozy landscaped area at the exterior away from the highway's noise.

Plot 575: The main conditions of the place are topography, landscape value, and its relationship to Epalinges and the close social-medical building. These circumstances and the required program determine the proposal. Four similar blocks, with nine apartments each one, are adapted to the hillside and the scale of the nearby buildings. The study and the repetition of a unique block allows to understand the project and its relationship to the surroundings, as well as its capacity to address the functional program and its construction in various phases.