Zurich Apartments

The development was designed on an exceptionally challenging plot, featuring an existing deep excavation and unfavorable topographical conditions. These constraints became the starting point for an architectural concept closely integrated with the surrounding landscape. 

Over 70% of the building volume is concealed below ground level. Instead of a conventional above-ground dominant form, a horizontal, terraced structure was created, “carved” into the slope and gradually revealed as the terrain descends. This strategy minimizes the visual impact on the surroundings, maintains a restrained building scale, and fully exploits the site’s panoramic potential. 

The building comprises five luxury apartments with floor areas ranging from approximately 240 to 460 m². Despite the significant submergence of the structure, each apartment is fully daylit and enjoys direct access to a private garden and its own terrace. A key design element is the glazed floors of shallow pools, which bring daylight into spaces located below ground level, creating unexpected relationships between water, light, and interior spaces. 

The functional layout is based on duplex apartments, where living and private zones interpenetrate through visual openings and internal galleries. The exception is the largest 460 m² penthouse, which features a unique spatial structure. As the only unit in the building, it does not directly connect two adjacent floors; instead, the substantial level difference between its zones is resolved by a private internal elevator. 

The architecture is defined by a clear rhythm of horizontal terrace slabs, expansive glazing, and refined natural materials—architectural concrete, wood, and greenery introduced onto roofs and terraces. Green roofs and cascading gardens strengthen the relationship with the landscape while also improving the microclimate and contributing to a sustainable design approach. 

The Herrliberg project further develops BXB studio’s approach to working with difficult site conditions and formal constraints. Rather than concealing them, the architecture uses topography, light, and section as primary design tools. The result is a building in which the complex characteristics of the site directly shape the spatial organization, daylighting strategy, and the relationship between interior spaces and their surroundings.