EPFL Les Bois Chamblard

The villa was emptied and completely reworked in order to accommodate a spacious reception area opening onto the extraordinary ancient oak forest which surrounds it. Views through the forest to the lake are maximised by the introduction of a floor-to-ceiling glazed bay in the dining room. Catering and various other services spaces are brought together at the southeastern end of the villa off the dining room. To accommodate seminar meetings as well as public events for up to 50 participants, a new spiral-shaped pavilion was conceived, in keeping with the planning regulations of Buchillon and mindful of the need to limit the impact on the natural environment with respect to the villa’s ecologically sensitive location. The pavilion is linked to the original villa by an enclosed corridor leading into the spiral to reveal a perfectly circular conference room with full height glazing in wood-framed bays that imperceptibly fan out, expanding as the spiral shape of the room unfurls, minimising the potential acoustical problems of a circular room. Embraced by two “arms” of the villa, the new pavilion immerses visitors in unobstructed views of the densely wooded landscape beyond.