The theme of the bachelor thesis is rurality. The plot is in Giswil, in the canton of Obwalden. 

 

While analyzing the plot, I noticed two remarkable buildings which were built separately at different times but are very similar looking. They are located at the beginning of the street and create almost an entrance to the small village. Another thing that I noticed was that the church was not in the middle of the village. It is almost bare on one side, and at the edge of the village. That is why I decided to create a twin building. 

 

Similarly, to the two buildings at the beginning of the street, these buildings create an entrance on the other side and, at the same time, bring the church more into the center of the village. The buildings have exceptional views both on the hill and on the valley. Therefore, the facades facing the street are more closed and conventional but the ones facing nature are open. The roof accentuates the gesture by opening to the nature. Even though the facades facing the street are more closed, on this side the windows are not small by any means because the buildings are positioned so that they get sunlight in the morning even in winter on the darkest days of the year. Even in this season, the sun shines into the rooms after less than one hour from dawn. That gives the building natural sunlight all year round. The windows are so big that you almost get the feeling that you are finding yourself outside. The buildings integrate itselves with the surrounding nature. 

The entrance of the building is on the ground floor on the street side. On one site where one house is facing the mountains the living room is imbedded 75 cm into the terrain, so you have a lower view and feel the weight of the mountain. On the valley-facing side and the stairs that access the private garden accentuate the natural form of the terrain.