Project Name: Winkelhaus

Location: Winkel, Switzerland

Design Team: estudio kmmk

Total Floor Area: 643 m²

Completion: 2026

Photography: Archibatch, Frederico Montanha

Design Features: Nestled into the sloping terrain of Winkel, Switzerland, this curved single family residence by estudio kmmk demonstrates how contemporary architecture can achieve harmony with nature through both form and function. The Winkelhaus represents the studio's first project in Switzerland, showcasing an integrated approach where landscape, engineering, and design converge from the earliest conceptual stages.

The home's defining feature is its sweeping curved geometry, which orients every interior space toward the surrounding forest and expansive valley beyond. This deliberate formal gesture ensures that inhabitants experience the changing seasons through a constant dialogue between architecture and landscape. The building appears to emerge organically from the site, with its landscape integration creating the impression of permanent belonging rather than recent intervention.

Material choices reinforce this connection to place. Textured bronze windows shift in color with changing light, echoing the autumnal hues of the adjacent forest, while hand worked natural stone slabs reference local Roman ruins, acknowledging the region's historical depth. In stark contrast, the interiors embrace restraint: seamless white floors, white washed timber surfaces, and pristine plastered walls create a serene backdrop that frames the dramatic natural views.

Beyond its aesthetic achievement, Winkelhaus pioneers sustainable living through complete energy autonomy. Geothermal and solar systems power the residence entirely, while the earth sheltered design leverages thermal mass for natural climate regulation throughout the year. Smart home technology optimizes energy consumption seamlessly.

The project's innovation extends to construction methodology. A collaborative effort with ETH Zurich researchers produced 3D printed formwork for the outdoor kitchen, bridging ancient craft with cutting edge robotics. A hand sculpted clay model was digitally scanned and robotically fabricated, merging primal artistic expression with precision technology. This exemplifies estudio kmmk's philosophy: thoughtful design unified with advanced engineering, creating architecture that respects and responds to its natural context.

Design Team: Founded in Zurich, Switzerland, estudio kmmk represents the architectural convergence of two distinguished careers. Established by Angela Kurmann and Frederico Martins Montanha, the practice emerged as a natural fusion and continuation of their individual professional trajectories that began in Brazil. Operating as a family run office, estudio kmmk brings a uniquely humanistic approach to architecture, where design development occurs in profound synergy with clients and their aspirations.

The firm's design philosophy centers on contextual responsiveness and site specificity. Each project is meticulously developed for its particular location, with dual objectives of enhancing user quality of life while enriching the inherent character of the place itself. This commitment reflects the practice's understanding that every commission carries both responsibility toward client goals and opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the surrounding environment through deliberate design interventions.

Drawing from extensive professional experience across three continents including Brazil, Australia, and Switzerland prior to establishing their Zurich base, the leadership team has cultivated a global perspective firmly grounded in respect for local cultures, traditions, and construction methodologies. Architectural travel remains integral to the studio's DNA, providing continuous inspiration and deepening understanding of human needs at both individual and collective scales. The practice maintains that architecture constitutes a continuous journey of experimentation, evolution, and learning, embodying the principle of thinking globally while acting locally with unwavering respect for regional context and technological possibilities.