House with an Eye by Studio Anna Jach
Sustainable timber house in Zurich with CNC-cut façade, solar energy, natural materials, and interactive shadow design by Studio Anna Jach.
Sustainable Architecture in Motion: House with an Eye by Studio Anna Jach
Tucked along a narrow, high-traffic street in Zurich, House with an Eye stands as a poetic and sustainable architectural response to dense urban living. Designed by Studio Anna Jach, this 155-square-meter residence harmonizes advanced prefabrication methods with a powerful emphasis on ecological responsibility and aesthetic expression.
Compact Site, Expansive Vision
Facing tight construction logistics, minimal contractor access, and an accelerated timeline due to the client’s wish to reoccupy quickly, the architectural solution was to embrace prefabrication. A set of CNC-cut, insulated pine wood panels—manufactured only 37 kilometers from the site—enabled rapid on-site assembly. Four workers and a mobile crane erected the primary structure within just five hours.
The construction method relied on tongue-and-groove joints and minimal mechanical fasteners, significantly reducing waste and streamlining the building process.
Ecological Performance and Energy Efficiency
Sustainability was central to every decision. Locally sourced pine wood and blown-in cellulose insulation drastically minimized the project's carbon footprint, while solar panels and a heat pump on the roof provide both electric energy and hot water. With 26 cm thick insulation (40 cm total wall thickness), the heating demand was cut in half, optimizing thermal performance throughout the seasons.
Even the excavated soil from the site was repurposed, forming a rammed-earth bench that adds character and ecological storytelling to the garden.
Material Honesty and Indoor Well-being
Inside, Studio Anna Jach opted for unfinished wood paneling, enhancing not just the building's natural character but its indoor climate performance. These exposed surfaces enable passive humidity exchange, creating a stable, breathable, and aromatic environment. To avoid yellowing while preserving wood grain, panels were treated only with natural flax oil and a 5% white mineral pigment, entirely free of synthetic chemicals.
A Living Façade: Interactive Design with Shadow Relief
The most striking feature of House with an Eye lies in its digitally fabricated wooden façade. Engineered through wave-like CNC-cut vertical planks, the façade creates an interactive 3D shadow play that evolves with the sun. In the morning, shadows resemble an open eye; by afternoon, they morph into a closed one—offering an elegant metaphor of the house “waking up” and “falling asleep” in rhythm with its surroundings.
This programmable surface transforms the elevation into an animated canvas, turning architecture into visual storytelling and inviting dialogue with passersby.
House with an Eye embodies a modern architectural ethos where form, function, and environmental integrity coexist. Studio Anna Jach’s design demonstrates how compact urban architecture can achieve low-carbon construction, innovative material expression, and emotive spatial design, setting a compelling precedent for the future of sustainable living in European cities.
