ABOVE IT ALL

Perched atop a hill, the stylish Villa Fernblick takes a cue from Asian design philosophies while keeping rooted in its tranquil Swiss surrounds

- Kissa Castañeda

Even the most well-travelled of us know that there’s no place like home. This holds true for a long-term client of designer Ina Rinderknecht, who took years to find an ideal property in his hometown of Teufen in Appenzell, the smallest canton in Switzerland. When he found the right one, a plan was set in motion to create the villa of his dreams.

“Our client had been uneasy about the original architect’s plans. Because of our close working relationship, we were able to guide him in a new conceptual direction,” shares Rinderknecht, whose eponymous firm works on luxury hospitality projects and private residences that evoke a worldly appeal.

Set on a hill soaring above the village of Teufen, the property was previously used as a vacation home for Christian nuns. With respect for its past as well as its lush surroundings, Rinderknecht was adamant about creating “the right architectural language that guarantees a harmonious dialogue with nature”. Rinderknecht collaborated with two renowned firms— architects Thomasine Wolfensberger and Simone Schnyder of Studio Sito Architects and landscape architect Enzo Enea—handpicked because of their innate understanding of the elegant restraint and cross-cultural sensibilities that the project required.

Maintaining a sense of serenity was central to Rinderknecht’s plan. “My vision was to develop a villa that would be gently embedded into its surroundings. The property needed to be a place that radiates tranquillity and invites you to recharge better than at any resort.”