conversion, sion

client :

private

contributors :

christian lamon, michele pani

programme :

living room, kitchen, bedrooms, wc, shower, dressing room, workshop/garage, cellar, laundry room, plant room

dates :

planning 2016

implementation 2017-18

volume (sia 116 standard) :

1,100 m³

civil engineering :

sd ingénieur, sion

hvac engineering :

gd climat sa, sion

built during the first half of the 19th century at the heart of a block of buildings, this property was probably once an outbuilding for one of the residences overlooking the rue du rhône. in the 20th century it was used as a wine-producing cellar. this use ceased in around 1970 when the building to the south of the plot was added, and the premises fell into disrepair.

its location in the heritage-protected old town means that no new openings could be added to the façade, but generous roof openings allowed the space to be made habitable.

surrounded by tall structures, this introverted project looks out onto a tree-planted patio on the first floor, which forms the heart of the house. this patio brings in natural light to all the spaces in the dwelling, right down to the ground-floor spaces that are lit by openings in the courtyard.

the interior spaces communicate well with one another despite the different levels, and are arranged in tiered formation beneath the long single-pitched roof. the entrance connects with the living room, which in turn leads to the children’s floor. these spaces are linked by staircases occupying the full length of the building and reflecting the geometry of the roof structure.

the exterior walls are preserved exactly as they were: the gable wall is in natural stone, while the southern façade still bears traces of its industrial past with a large opening.