Embedded in the landscape as a monolithic concrete cube, Haus Rüscher, designed by architecture firm , stands on a hillside and at an altitude of almost 1,100 metres, just a few kilometres from the village of Schnepfau in Austria. In the back of dense forest and surrounded by pastureland, the house—designed to have a minimal impact on the surrounding landscape—has a great view in three directions, including the Kanisfluh and far into the adjoining valleys of the Bregenzerwald.
With minimalist sensibilities and characteristics that resemble Bauhaus architecture because of its strict geometric form, Haus Rüscher is a project that is defined by its facade. The sparsely populated landscape is reflected in the simple form and basic materials chosen for the design. The double shell is constructed without any horizontal construction joints. The entire outer wall was constructed as one solid piece. This approach to the cubic design also corresponds to the simple mass of the surrounding mountains.
The grassland grows right to the edge of the building to emphasise the concept of the house as a rock emerging from the ground naturally. In addition, a small supplemented guest-house was built which applies the same design language as its grander sibling. It compliments and emphasises the larger house by creating a natural rock formation topography rather than a solitary monument.