Alpine Spaces

27/08/2024

| The MCL Barn by Alp Architecture

| Photographs by Christophe Voisin

Situated in a small hamlet on the heights of the village of Bruson, this barn was very close from collapsing when it was bought to be transformed by a couple who fell in love with the location. Former, there was no basement and the barn lied directly on the ground. In order to make it habitable, a base was rebuilt with concrete and an extension added on the back that hosts two bedrooms, a bathroom and the technical room. On the first floor, the 35 m2 available are entirely devoted to an open living room with many storage space.

Text by the architect.

25/08/2024

| The House CCB by Ralph Germann Architectes

| Photographs by Lionel Henriod

In the Swiss Alps, architect Ralph Germann turns a traditional barn into a luminous residence. Behind the monumental stone walls that have remained intact, he envisions a bright interior bathed in natural light.
At first, the massive 1854 building impresses. It bears the marks of time: four generations have seen it evolved from hay barn to stable, and then to wine storage. In 1950, a wooden extension is added to the family property. As a new chapter opens, the owner and architect agree: the impressive stone facade has to be preserved.

Text by the architect.

23/08/2024

| The Foyer Astural Chevrens Education Center by

| Photographs by Olivier die Gambattista

Established in the commune of Anières in 1957, the Centre de Chevrens aims to welcome and meet the educational needs of adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years old placed in boarding schools. At the entrance to the village of Chevrens, the new buildings of the Centre revere the guidelines of the existing fabric by reinforcing, in particular, the single-front structure of the village-street with an irregular succession of courses and narrowings. In this image, the layout of the project delimits a complex built around a courtyard open to the road and thus marks the transition between the countryside and the built environment.

Text by the architect.

16/08/2024

| The Ciasa Le Fiun by .danielellecosta

| Photographs by

In Marebbe, next to a narrow bend of road Passo Furcia, along which various hamlets line up, again and again, Ciasa Le Fiun stands alone on a relatively steep south-facing slope with a view towards the Sass de Putia. The special responsibility of the construction task was to link a commercial construction with integrated official housing to the surrounding building tradition of the “Viles” (hamlets).

13/08/2024

| The Day House Renovation by

| Photographs by

Perfect Day is a complete renovation and transformation of a 1960s chalet for a family in search of an alternative lifestyle. Its sober architecture offers large volumes dedicated to communal living and compact spaces that can accommodate up to ten people. The village of Zinal lies at an altitude of 1700 meters. It is a mountain pasture that became a travel destination for the first English tourists in the 19th century, a gateway to the high Alpine peaks.

10/08/2024

| The Holiday Home Renovation by

| Photographs by

Overlooking the Lugano Lake, between the woods and the hill at its shoulders, we were called to transform an existing building, one constructed in the 50s. On the somewhat compact property you can see two spaces built at opposite ends - holiday home on one side, and a dock with a garage on the other, alongside two large trees. The concept is simple, a series of spaces optimised for a brief break, a moment of respite, similar to an experience in a private hotel stay.

07/08/2024

| The Kindergarten Extension by

| Photographs by .bereuter_fotografie

The kindergarten extension is the result of a conversion and renovation of the existing community premises. The extension of the kindergarten in the existing community meeting point will take place under the current kindergarten with a south-facing external connection. The access to the group rooms can be extended to the west, onto the municipal land. The generous glass surfaces provide maximum lighting for the rooms and at the same time create an open kindergarten cluster. The team room is also open plan. Adapted to the staff situation, there are only mobile workstations and a shared coworking table. The children’s recreation areas are attached to the façade facing the natural space. An acoustic ceiling made of untreated wood paneling in combination with an organic floor bellows ensures the best acoustics and a feel-good atmosphere.

30/07/2024

| The House Gapfohl by

| Photographs by

The architectural concept of the primitive hut traces back to Vitruvius and gained significant influence in 18th-century architectural theory, notably with Marc-Antoine Laugier. It’s particularly about the location’s specificity and the interaction between a person and their environment. Here in the Laternsertal at 1100 meters altitude, the hut emphasizes experiencing the place – the rugged nature, the view, the stars at night, or the passing forest animals. It promotes a minimalist and frugal lifestyle, where things take time and the focus is on the essentials, such as relationships, feeling the mountain air, and taking time for oneself.

24/07/2024

| The House N by Juri Troy Architects

| Photographs by Juri Troy Architects

The house stands on a steep slope in Vorarlberg and provides an amazing view. The access of the lot is from down the hill while the building positions itself as high as possible on the lot. In order to save recourses the footprint was kept small and the basement is not built deep into the slope. On the inside some walls consist of rammed earth as well as the oven which was prefabricated and then transported on the building site. A photovoltaic system is implemented on the southern side of the roof and provides sustainable energy for the house.

22/07/2024

| The House Birgisch by Daniel Giezendanner

| Photographs by Daniel Giezendanner

The building had to be climate-friendly, according to the latest findings. However, a controlled ventilation system with permanently closed windows was not an option for the couple. They preferred a low-tech house over sophisticated building technology, prompting them to launch an architectural competition. The young architect Daniel Giezendanner impressed them with his simple yet ingenious design. The residential house does not require heating, allowing the homeowners to open the windows freely for fresh air. Warmth is provided by the sun, the occupants, and, in case of an emergency, a fireplace.

20/07/2024

| The Hofhaus Lili by

| Photographs by

The “Wohnhaus LILI” is aptly described in a few words as having an inconspicuous, windowless, and almost defensive silhouette. The flat plot in the far east of Lower Austria is separated by a road from the densely vegetated bank zone of the Leitha River. The immediate surroundings are characterized by typical, heterogeneous single-family house structures, and to the east lies the nearby Rosalia Mountains. These urban planning conditions are the reason for the building’s exterior appearance, which some may find unconventional or atypical.

17/07/2024

| The Haus der Berge by .architekten

| Photographs by

Since mid-2023, the Haus der Berge in Sexten, at the foot of the Three Peaks, promises a mountain experience without sore muscles in your legs. In 2016, the municipality and the local tourism association announced an invited competition for the new building, which was won by Delueg Architects from Sterzing.

15/07/2024

| The Public Library by

| Photographs by

The public library of Dornbirn was designed as an inter-generational sharing, meeting, and learning space. It promotes reading, the practice of languages, the exploration of computerized research methods, and new forms of communication. “The new library is a milestone for Dornbirn’s culture and education,” says Mayor Andrea Kaufmann happily.

12/07/2024

| The Kindergarten by

| Photographs courtesy of

The new kindergarten was designed to complement the existing parochial court, forming an L-shaped space that creates an attractive area for children. Group rooms face east to benefit from optimal morning sunlight. Future expansions, such as adding another group room or a day nursery, are planned for the south to ensure ideal lighting. Text by the architect.

11/07/2024

| The House JT by Juri Troy Architects

| Photographs courtesy of Juri Troy Architects

The two-floor wooden construction lies directly above a yard with an roofed entrance area which curves in an abrupt slope. The circumferential and vertical silver fir facade not only serves as a filter, but also almost imperceptibly directs views to the carefully selected outlooks. The narrow, slightly and both-sidely bent ground plan follows both the course of the road and slightly bends the
garden side towards the south. Text by the architect.

09/07/2024

| Toms Hut by Raumhochrosen .raumhochrosen

| Photographs by Albrecht Imanuel Schnabel

If a mental coach is also an Austrian songwriter, living his life between extremes, he needs a place, a wooden wilderness and a hut far out as a balance to his life in the middle of the town. Text by the architect.

07/07/2024

| The Apartments in Rüthi by Schneider Türtscher

| Photographs by Johanna Mu**er

An ensemble of two houses with a connecting portico is embedded on the edge of a historically agricultural, today heterogeneously cultivated village in the Rhine Valley of Switzerland. The core idea of the project is based on the urban void. Two parallel set apartment buildings, a portico and a former farmhouse create a clearly composed courtyard. Text by the architect.

04/07/2024

| The Modular Wood House by Martin Summer at Baucombinat Forrer

| Photographs by Rupert Steiner

02/07/2024

| The Multi Family Home by AERO Architekten

| Photographs by

The site is enthroned on the slope above Rapperswil ith breath-taking views of the castle, lake and mountains. Precisely positioned, the structure defines the edge of the slope, with a large sweep of space around the house that has become extremely scarce in such locations. The archetypal shape with a gabled roof forms an appropriate framework for the apartment house: three parties in one house, under one roof.Text by the architect.

29/06/2024

| The Chalet in Les Diablerets by Charles Pictet Architecte

| Photographs by Thomas Jantscher

The appearance of the chalets is anchored in the experience and images of an immovable world view. The building regulations of the individual communities dictate the rules by stipulating the materials, forms of the building openings, alignments and roof angles. Text by the architect.

26/06/2024

25/06/2024

| The Reckingen Stable Conversion by .noun

| Photographs by

The former stable, a traditional log structure typical of the region, is part of the mountain village of Reckingen in the Rhone Valley. Under the premise of preserving the building, it was carefully transformed into a retreat. Without diminishing the cultural value of the building in its historical context its structure is barely altered. All adaptions to the existing building remain visible due to the varying weathering of the timber. The project therefore serves as an example of an honest transformation. With a strong knowledge of traditional craftsmanship, the project respects the existing structure and creates new details to complement and emphasise its character.

24/06/2024

| The Villa Favre by

| Photographs by

Villa Favre is a two-family house located in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, a northern district of Lausanne on Lake Geneva. The house comprises a 200-square-meter residence for the Favre family, as well as a 100-square-meter unit that is rented out long-term. SNA made these allocations legible in the footprint of the house, which assumes an irregular hexagonal shape. The decision creates privacy for the two families, in turn. Separate entrances face away from one another, and differently angled windows prevent looking into the adjoining yard. Text by the architect.

23/06/2024

| The CPL Chalet by

| Photographs by

Built in 1830, the rural building is part of the typical architectural heritage of the mountain pastures in the Gruyère Pays-d’Enhaut Regional Nature Park with its stone walls and traditional wooden tile roof. At the time, the building was used for cattle farming and cheese production.

18/06/2024

| The Werdenberg Castle Renovation by BBK Architektur

| Photographs by Walter Mair

Located in the municipality of Grabs, Castle Werdenberg is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. In 2013-2015, the castle went through substantial renovations, including the reinforcement of the timber-framed ceiling to the replacement of electrical network as well as upgrading the fire-protection systems to meet the levels required by present codes. Various built-in fixtures inside the existing museum were demolished to allow for a complete redesign of the exhibition spaces. Text by the architect.

17/06/2024

| The Workshop AWEL Andelfingen by

| Photographs by Jürg Zimmermann

„The workshop is a statement of reduction of means, creating a sculptured body made of piled up load-bearing elements. Everything that is necessary is there, with nothing superfluous added. The only wooden structure relates to the oldest buildings in Switzerland and is AAA sustainable. The timber used regrows in Switzerland in 18 minutes“. Quote by Mark Aurel Wyss.

15/06/2024

| The Lake Como Villa by Studio Daminato

| Photographs by Frederik Vercruysse

Constructed in 1909 as a large family residence, Villa Peduzzi commands exceptional views over the northern Italian Lake Como. Set within terraced gardens, the villa is built upon a Medieval-style stone plinth. Decorative elements in the Italian Liberty style are integrated into the architectural façade of the villa. Largely abandoned since the 1960s, STUDIO DAMINATO were commissioned to oversee the transformation of the interior architecture, design and decoration.

13/06/2024

| The Sparkasse Bank by Dietger Wissounig

| Photographs by Maurer

From the early stages of the competition for this bank building, there was a clear focus on contemporary architecture and sustainable building methods which could be completed in a short period of time, with a crucial aspect on the mixed usage of key spaces. The bank’s objective was to create a customer and employee-friendly, relaxed atmosphere not only through the building itself, but also by integrating a bakery with a café into the bank. Text by the architect.

10/06/2024

| The Public Library by

| Photographs by

Each internal glimpse, in which everything has been custom designed, is different, due to the great geometric and volumetric complexity of the building, camouflaged on the outside with clean and essential lines that blend perfectly with the pre-existing structures.
The project of the new Brixen Public Library project by Carlana Mezzalira Pentimalli intensifies the close relationship between architecture and context. Its formal outcome is a public venue, inspired by the architectural characteristics of Brixen, where the new feeds the old and vice versa, restoring exceptional architecture capable of interweaving historical and contemporary fabric.

08/06/2024

| The Zumthor Holiday Homes by Peter Zmthor

| Photographs by Ralph Feiner

In the mountains above Vals is Leis, a hamlet with age-darkened timber buildings, a white chapel and a small guest house. It is here, at an altitude of 1500 metres, that world-renowned architect Peter Zumthor built three wooden houses for himself and his wife, Annalisa: the Oberhus, where they live themselves, and the Unterhus and brand-new Türmlihus, which they let out to guests. Each house can accommodate up to five people. Using new design principles, Peter Zumthor has incorporated large panoramic windows into the traditional architectural style. These floor-to-ceiling windows in each room stretch the full width of the walls and frame the landscape, offering spectacular views.