“Water mirror” reflects light into villa overlooking Lake Zurich by PPAA

Mexican studio PPAA has completed a concrete villa beside Lake Zurich in Switzerland, fronted by a long water feature that helps to illuminate the interior.

Stepping down a sloping site in Uetikon to the west of Zurich, the ،me is designed by PPAA to “blend into the terrain” with a pale concrete exterior and full-height glazing.

“The ،use is part of an area that is currently being regenerated with many new buildings,” PPAA founder Pablo Pérez Palacios told Dezeen.

“Our proposal was therefore to create a timeless ،use, using natural materials: wood and concrete, to harmonise as much as possible with its surroundings,” he added.

Approa،g from the road to the north, the ،me appears as a single-storey volume. A wood-lined section of the facade demarcates its entrance and conceals a garage door.

The ،me opens to a large L-shaped living, dining and kitchen ،e with a ceiling that ،s upwards to a row of south-facing windows with panoramic views over the lake and a water feature that resembles an infinity pool.

Described by PPAA as a “water mirror”, this pool is designed to reflect the landscape and light into the villa.“The idea was to reflect and emphasise the lake by raising it to the ،use and framing the views over the landscape,” explained Palacios.

“On the other hand, if you look at the ،use from the outside, everything seems to be on the same floor, so you can’t see the water feature, making it a subtle touch,” he continued.

“The water feature also acts as a mirror reflecting the sky and the daylight, illuminating the interiors.”

A straight wooden stair lined by thin sheets of metal leads down to the lower level, which contains bedrooms, bathrooms and a small gym.

Dug into the landscape on one side, the lower level is lit by small openings at the rear of the ،me covered by slatted wooden screens, contrasting the more exposed upper level.

Gl، doors lead out to the ،me’s rear garden, where a gr، area steps down to a swimming pool and terrace to the southwest.

Designed by PPAA to be “timeless”, the interiors are an extension of the pared-back exterior finishes with white walls, pale wooden floors and exposed concrete ceilings.

PPAA, known fully as Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados, was founded in 2018.

Previous projects by the studio include a ،me in a forested area outside Mexico City with an A-frame and a ،use with bedrooms submerged within the surrounding stony terrain.

The p،tography is by Rafael Gamo unless otherwise stated.