Named after a local strongman, Hercule is a concrete-and-glass house that makes the most of a small sloping site in Mondorf-les-Bains in the south of Luxembourg.
The name of the house is a nod to local hero Johann Grün, known as the Luxembourg Hercules, who rose to fame in the late 19th century. The architecture studio explained the choice as a reference to the "robust strength" of the concrete structure and its bold form in a relatively traditional neighbourhood.

The couple that commissioned the house inherited the steep plot, which is sandwiched between a farmhouse and a typical Luxembourg suburban home.
"The wife felt that the program they were looking for demanded a big house, but that the plot would not allow for it and she clearly hinted at not wanting a house of the proportions of a typical Luxembourgish suburban house," explained Philippe Nathan, founder of 2001.
2001's solution was to take advantage of the topography and build into the slope, creating a 446-square-metre building that steps down over three levels.
The house is entered from the lowest level, which is almost invisible from the street. This floor has the largest area and contains the communal, family spaces. The focal point is the open-plan 14-metre-by-six-metre kitchen, dining and living area that faces onto an enclosed patio at the side of the house. A garage and a small gym and wine cellar also occupy this level.

The master bedroom, two single bedrooms and bathrooms occupy th...