O-House’s Cut-Out Double Skin Protects it From the Sun’s Rays

A gorgeous <a href="http://inhabitat.com/sydneys-1-bligh-skyscraper-is-australias-greenest-office-tower/" target="_blank">double skinned</a> villa in picturesque <a href="http://inhabitat.com/swiss-team-creates-rain-by-firing-laser-beams-into-the-sky/" target="_blank">Switzerland</a> makes eco-luxury an art form. Designed by <a href="http://www.philippestuebi.ch/" target="_blank">Philippe Stuebi Architects</a>, the sprawling residence connects an entranceway with a serene lake. Treating the design of the building like a sculpture, the resulting O-House combines modern luxury with sustainable features, while welcoming the surrounding greenery into the interior of the home.

Designed for a very wealthy client, the glass structure is <a href="http://inhabitat.com/checkerboard-solar-clad-housing-project-pops-up-in-paris/" target="_blank">encapsulated</a> with a circular cut-out skin. Resembling port holes, the heavy concrete façade filters light into the glass interior, while also reflecting the lake, mountains and greenery of the site. The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/double-skinned-glass-townhouse-glows-from-within/" target="_blank">outside skin</a> creates privacy for the interior, while also blocking the sun’s rays, and reducing solar heat gain. In the winter, it helps hold in hot air, keeping the interior nice and toasty.

The lake side of the home is lined with round glass bricks and full-wall <a href="http://inhabitat.com/candy-colored-glass-illuminates-art-filled-passageway-between-renovated-16th-century-buildings/" target="_blank">glass windows</a>, which fill the interior with light, while blurring the lines between inside and out.

Exterior terraces also reach out to the mountain sight lines. The opposite side is more solid, joining the cut-out <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nighthawk-retreat/" target="_blank">double skin</a>. It faces a large parking area surrounded by lushly planted flowers and trees, a stark contrast to the openness of the lakeside.

The true wealth of the client is highlighted in the basement level parking garage. Naturally lit by a large <a href="http://inhabitat.com/green-roofed-czech-tea-house-is-naturally-lit-by-a-gilded-oculus/" target="_blank">oculus</a>, it is home to the owners several Ferraris. The lower level, which is also built into a gently sloping hill, houses a large fitness area and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/picturesque-green-roofed-aquapark-rises-out-of-the-swiss-alps/" target="_blank">in ground pool</a>, which extends from inside to outside.

The interior of the home is minimal and pays homage to the natural views outside, with white wood flooring and walls to enhance the views. The only extravagant decorative elements are the Aura<a href="http://inhabitat.com/pulplamps-recycle-old-newspapers-into-amorphous-cocoon-like-lamps/" target="_blank"> chandeliers</a>, which hang in the entrance foyer, spanning the floors. With the light that filters in through the double skin, the chandeliers cast changing shadows that reach throughout the blank canvas of the entire house, changing its mood and character.

The O-House by Philippe Stuebi could possibly be THE most luxurious <a href="http://inhabitat.com/double-skinned-arca-regler-facility-powered-by-geothermic-probes/" target="_blank">double-skinned</a> home!