cero sliding window – Lake Constance
“The lake location inspired use to bring the element of water to life in almost every corner of the house. cero’s generous glass fronts offer a view right out onto Lake Constance from anywhere in the house.“
The owner

One house, two faces

The detached house was completed in 2017, and is situated on one of the coveted lakeside plots. The unusual building boasts 300 m² of space, split across two floors. The ground floor and top floor were built from scratch on top of the existing property, while the basement and indoor pool of the old house were retained. Now uncovered and in the open air, the old indoor pool acts as the eye-catching centrepiece of the north patio, while the basement houses the building technology.  

“I wanted the shape of the building to tell a story,” says Mona Bayr, explaining her idea. “But at the same time, every one of the building’s unique geometric features serves a purpose, be it functional or energy-related.” The basic shape of the building is a right-angled cuboid. The top floor is built on top of the east and west wings. This leaves space for a generous living patio on the ground level, with glass surfaces connecting it to the south patio and the north courtyard, which is home to the swimming pool. 

cero III Bodensee
cero III Bodensee
Lake Constance is omnipresent

The whole building gives an impression of airiness and openness, and the top floor seams to practically float above the ground. “I wanted to keep the north and south sides of the house as transparent as possible in order to give it that feeling of lightness. The large shadow gaps between the east and west wings also emphasise the floating effect of the top floor.” The outer facade is made almost entirely of glass. For this purpose, the architect chose cero, a sliding window system that allows for the use of extremely large glass surfaces. Thanks to the large glass elements, the view of Lake Constance can be seen from almost anywhere in the house. 

cero III Bodensee
cero III Bodensee
Unrestricted views with cero

“The builder-owners wanted to be able to see the lake from as many different positions as possible,” the young architect says of her draft. “That’s where I got the idea  of setting the glass elements back a little, rather than placing them right at the edge of the building.” The slender profile of the large-format sliding windows retains  the effect of continuous components, while the central glass elements are in keeping with the architect’s overall concept. In total, 140 m² of glass were installed in the building. Almost every element can be opened. “On warm days, the north and south facades can be opened to allow access to the outdoor patios, which immediately gives the owners more living space.” 

cero III Bodensee
cero III Bodensee
The house with a sense of lightness

The architect was drawn to the entire project right from the start. “The location right by the lake and the owner-builders’ idea of always having water as a visible, moving element made the whole planning phase really interesting,” Mona Bayr recalls. “The combination of the white construction material and all the glass makes the building beautiful and bright, And also gives the house a certain sense of light.”

The family of three has lived by Lake Constance since 2017. “The planning and design phase took about a year,” the owner recalls. “We worked closely with the architect to incorporate our own ideas and wishes into the design.”  
 

The heart of the home
Ground plan cero