Kit Architects Builds Prefabricated Timber Tower House on Triangular Swiss Site

Kit architects has completed the Tower House, a three-story detached dwelling in the Rhine Valley near St. Gallen, Switzerland. Designed for a family of four, the house occupies a compact triangular site close to the historic village center. The building is positioned to maintain distance from neighbors and open views, with a form referencing rural archetypes: narrow proportions, tall elevations, and a pitched gabled roof with deep overhangs. Construction used prefabricated spruce timber panels for walls, floors, and ceilings, assembled on-site in three days. An exposed concrete core provides structural stability, houses vertical services, and acts as an air shaft for natural ventilation. Environmental features include a ventilated timber facade, passive solar gain, photovoltaic panels, and a ground-source heat pump. Interior organization follows a vertical distribution: ground floor with two rooms connected to the garden; first floor with bedrooms and shared spaces; upper level with a library, workspace, and an ensuite bedroom. The site strategy allows for a potential second house of similar size on the southern portion of the plot.