concrete and the woods reinterpret small chalet situated amidst the swiss landscape

emerging swiss architectural practice, concrete and the woods, renovated a small chalet in western switzerland. ‘moka’ is situated at the periphery of touristic village of 3k inhabitants, closer to a forest and to the shores of a lake, providing the chalet with a natural surrounding. 

the architects got tasked with renovating the chalet given its foggy, cold and moist environment. the clients requested a residence that would allow them to spend warmer winters at home, and enjoy it during the summertime with friends. in response, the designers worked on the building’s skin to propose a solution by rethinking the structure, insulation, cladding and the roof of the already existing building.

the existing house was improved by keeping its fundamental parts and then reducing the number of surfaces and the use of unnecessary materials. the architects then proposed a more sophisticated choice of materials and reinterpreted the home’s decoration. adding new exterior wooden cladding and perforated shutters, the chalet was transformed into a contemporary living space.

the original building had a wooden pergola on its south side, blocking all potential sunlight into the interiors. for the renovation, the designers created a new space on a different orientation that offers a grape-vine covered pergola, providing a shaded space where the owner could spend summer afternoon with friends. made of a steel frame, the new structure works as a light skeleton for the plants growing on it, producing shade and a comfortable exterior atmosphere to the spaces beneath it.