LCA architetti’s ‘chalet blanc’ celebrates rhythmic timber framing

backdropped by the iconic matterhorn, ‘chalet blanc’ expresses LCA architetti‘s celebration of natural materials and environmental sustainability. captured by simone bossi, the project is born from the idea of a young couple who sought to build a small chalet at the foot of the northern italian range. the work is defined by its rhythmic timber envelope, constructed with a prefabricated structure designed to reinterpret the traditional chalet with a language that is minimalistic and contemporary.

images © simone bossi | @simonebossiphotographer

with its ‘chalet blanc,’ the team at LCA architetti honors the majesty of the surrounding mountains. the inverted ‘W’ roofline introduces a dialogue with the peaks of the matterhorn or ‘cervino’ ridgeline. the broken line of the roof is taken up, in plan, by the design of the balconies, creating an organic design as a whole. in plan, the broken line of the roof is occupied by balconies, generating an organic design as a whole. each elevation is designed with its own unique treatment, informed by its orientation and chalet’s interior programs. large southern windows open up the social spaces on the upper floor, while each room accesses a terrace, finished with zig-zag patterning and partially shaded by a wooden brise soleil.

the north west facade of LCA architetti’s ‘chalet blanc’ is designed to protect occupants from the harsh climate. this side is decidedly more closed, with no large openings or terraces. here, the walls are expressed with rhythmic ribs that are generated with vertical wooden beams. the windows and their frames vary in size and open more freely and asymmetrically, framing glimpses of the landscape. the architecture of the chalet is realized with a sustainable soul, built primarily with natural materials from renewable sources, such as wood that has reduced consumption and very low carbon emissions.