Text description provided by the architects. Moos De Hill is composed of two simple volumes placed one on top of the other. The triangular shape of the house opens onto the landscape of Lyon. The effect produced by the construction is stunning due to the contrast between its massive shapes and oversized cantilever. The entire building rests on a 23-ton kars rock that has been modeled over time. The rock supports the first floor and is the starting point of the huge 18 meter-cantilver which seems to challenge the laws of physics.
The floors have been lightened in order to increase structural inertia. Rows of empty shells called U-Boots have been drowned in the concrete slabs. The intermediate floor is slightly lifted thanks to cables that suspend it to the beams that are embedded in the roof – a very complex and highly technical structure that takes the visitors back to their scale and condition.
The general shape of the house has been guided by the landscape and by the morphology of the plot. The north of the house closes on the point of the triangle where the garage is located, close to the entrance. The south-facing façade is entirely open on the landscape and enables natural light to enter all the living spaces located on the ground floor as well as all the bedrooms on the first floor.
Deep overhangs protect the house against overheating in the summer, and let the horizontal winter sun enter the construction. The west-facing bedrooms are protected from the horizontal sunbeams of summer evenings by the openwork panels composed of white Ductal discs suspended by invisible steel cables that allow the structure to come to life when a light breeze blows. A glass roof allows sunlight to enter the heart of the house. The simple shapes are highlighted by the white concrete used for construction. Inside, the concrete walls are visible and left untouched. The non-load-bearing partitions are painted in white. The integrated furniture and the kitchen are made in arrangements of textured bamboo cylinders.
