The Residential Barn is a 215 m² residential project located in the rural Reppischtal region, near Zurich, Switzerland. Designed and completed in 2022 by BE Architektur, the house reinterprets the traditional Swiss agricultural barn typology (known as a schüür) into a functional and sculptural family home. The design's main goal was to create a new home that respects and blends into its historical and agricultural context. BE Architektur's founder, Boris Egli, achieved this by taking typical barn characteristics and reinterpreting them in a modern way. From a distance, the house appears to be another unassuming outbuilding in the hamlet, but upon closer inspection, its contemporary nature is revealed. Key features of this reinterpretation include: Glazed spruce facade: The exterior is clad in the same type of timber used for traditional Swiss barns, but with a transparent glaze that allows the wood to weather naturally. Pitched tile roof: A classic pitched roof is topped with the same tile roofing as neighboring structures, helping the building blend in. Concealed fenestration: Operable windows are hidden behind wooden shutters, while large, fixed glazing is fronted by sliding wooden doors. This creates a cohesive, uniform facade that conceals the interior's domestic function. Inside, the house embraces a raw and unfinished aesthetic, using a minimalist material palette to create a series of interconnected, sculptural spaces. The interior functions, such as the bedrooms and closets, are housed within enclosed volumes that are "stacked" atop one another. This design recalls the idea of a barn as a storage space. The negative space created around these volumes forms a spacious, open living area with a sense of vertical and horizontal expanse. The interior features exposed concrete floors and walls finished with textured, light-grey plaster, creating a tactile and serene environment. The project showcases a blend of rustic inspiration with modern, sustainable techniques. A photovoltaic system is integrated onto the gently sloping concrete gable roof, ensuring the home's energy needs are met with solar power. The freestanding concrete two-car garage was built using the same timber formwork as the house's facade, creating visual continuity between the two structures. A raw steel beam is used as a minimalist gutter, extending beyond the base of the roof to define the structure's clean lines. Project credits Architects: BE Architektur GmbH, Boris Egli Architekt FH REG A SIA Principal Architect: Boris Egli Photography: Vito Stallone Location: Reppischtal, near Zurich, Switzerland Project Year: 2022

The Single-Family Home in Rodersdorf is a minimal, prefabricated timber-frame house located in the Swiss municipality of Rodersdorf. Designed by Berrel Berrel Kräutler Architekten, the 172-square-meter home was completed in 2016 and is perched on a southwestern slope with views over the Alsatian countryside. The architectural design is based on a contrast between a simple, unassuming exterior and a dynamic, sculptural interior. The cubature of the detached house adheres to local building code specifications, featuring a gabled roof that is reinterpreted in a contemporary way. The material palette is designed to weather naturally over time, with the roof and shorter facades clad in a copper-titanium-zinc alloy, and the long sides finished with rhythmic wooden slats. To maximize the use of the sloped plot, the interior is divided into four distinct split levels that flow into one another. This creates an open, loft-like experience despite the modest footprint of the house. A key feature of the interior is a suspended wooden shell that contains the two upper floors and houses the bedroom, study, and bathroom. This creates a double-height central space below, which serves as the heart of the home. Throughout the interior, precise carpentry work creates seamless connections between spaces. Storage units and minimalist stairs are integrated flush into walls and surfaces, creating an abstract and uncluttered living environment. The prefabricated timber frame and other materials were chosen for their durability and how they would respond to the environment over time. The ground floor includes the entrance, kitchen, dining area, and living room, which are connected visually and spatially. The two upper levels in the suspended wooden shell contain the private quarters, and the lower cellar and storage rooms are tucked into the slope. Narrow skylight slits in the roof and along the integrated shell, combined with a large window in the double-height space, flood the interior with natural light. Project credits Architects: Berrel Berrel Kräutler Architekten Location: Rodersdorf, Switzerland Project Year: 2016 Photography: Eik Frenzel Manufacturers and Contractors: PM Holzbau Mangold AG (timber construction), Bruno Hügli AG (tinsmith), SM Schreinerei (carpenter).

The House Giacomelli Schmid, completed in 2016 by Swiss firm Caminada Architekten, is a distinctive family home located in the village of Trin-Mulin, in the Grisons region of Switzerland. Situated amongst a loose arrangement of single-family houses, the house stands out with its powerful yet minimalist architecture, set against the backdrop of an impressive mountain range. The design, characterized by a "hard shell, soft core" approach, is a thoughtful response to both its alpine environment and the clients' needs. The exterior presents a fortress-like shell of raw, vertically-formed concrete. The light color of the concrete is a result of using local cement, giving the structure an authentic, unpretentious feel. This robust outer shell is designed to withstand the harsh alpine climate. In contrast, the interior features a fully wooden core, bringing warmth and a sense of coziness to the living spaces. The house has an almost square footprint and a steep gable roof, reflecting a contemporary take on traditional alpine building. The design is precisely placed within the landscape to maximize views of the impressive mountain scenery. A single-storey annex flanks the main building, anchoring it into the sloping terrain. This addition not only defines the main entrance but also provides two covered parking spaces. The interior is organized around the self-supporting wooden core, which serves as a central hub for the split-level arrangement of the rooms. Rooms are arranged on half-stories around the central core, creating a continuous flow of space and providing access to the different areas. The living and dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dressing room, a library, a studio, and a wine cellar are all cleverly integrated into this layout. The warm, natural wood of the core contrasts beautifully with the raw concrete of the exterior and ceilings, creating a rich tactile and visual experience. The formwork pattern of the concrete walls was created using vertically arranged, standardized large-area formwork, showcasing a meticulous attention to detail. Project credits Architects: Caminada Architekten Photography: Gaudenz Danuser Location: Trin-Mulin, Switzerland Project Year: 2016

Designed by Cloux Architecture, the Béllerine Cabin is a remarkable work of sustainable and sensitive architecture located in the Swiss Alps. This 65 m² retreat, completed in 2020, replaces a dilapidated barn on a summer pasture 1,070 meters above sea level. The project's philosophy is rooted in a respect for the landscape and a commitment to self-sufficiency, creating a modern shelter that honors the area's pastoral heritage. The design concept for the Béllerine Cabin evolved from the idea of a primitive shelter centered around a fireplace. It also draws inspiration from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's "Terre des Hommes," which speaks to human connection with the land. The cabin's form retains the memory of the barn it replaced, utilizing the same footprint and volume to preserve its place within the landscape. The interior is conceived as a "cavern-like room" with a central fireplace that radiates heat. The substantial internal mass absorbs and stores this heat, also keeping the space cool during warmer summer months. Large windows frame the dramatic and ever-changing views of the Rhône valley and Lake Léman, allowing minimal furnishings to focus attention on the natural surroundings. The cabin is entirely self-sufficient, relying on wood from the surrounding forest for heating and an autonomous system for water and electricity. Cloux Architecture's commitment to local sourcing and natural materials is evident throughout the construction. The frame was fabricated and insulated off-site using wood fiber from just five miles away. The roof is covered with untreated European larch shingles, a durable material that has been used for centuries. The external and internal cladding is made of untreated, local spruce sourced from a nearby mill. All cement used in the project was produced less than ten miles from the site. The cabin's design is integrated with its environment through bioclimatic strategies. Trees like wild cherry and sycamore on the western side of the building provide solar gain in winter while offering crucial shade in the summer. This natural shade helped justify the inclusion of large openings during the permitting process. Project Credits and Collaborators Architects: Cloux Architecture (Architects: David Cloux, Pavla Cloux). Photography: Tonatiuh Ambrosetti and David Cloux. Location: Bex, Switzerland. Area: 65 m². Year of Completion: 2020. Structure & Carpentry: Roger Moret. Shingle Roofers: Madeleine Schärer. Sanitary / Heating / Ventilation: Pierre Olivier Anex. Masonry: Veillard & Crausaz SA, Georges Crausaz. Surveyor: Fabrice Bovay. Lighting: Lightcenter Aosta IT, Elisa Pitassi. Manufacturers: Louis Poulsen, Rabotage du Rhône, Spartherm.

"Nestled into a sloping, forested site in the Swiss Alps, the Holiday House Aulina is a compact and refined 53-square-meter cabin designed by Oliver Christen Architekten. Built in 2021 as a replacement for an older structure, the house is located in the Flumserberg-Bergheim area, where it offers its inhabitants almost uninterrupted views of the surrounding woodland, mountains, and Lake Walen. The design concept likens the compact building to a ""casket,"" carefully blending it into the landscape. The exterior is a striking, dark wooden volume with a classic gabled roof. The vertical charred-wood cladding is arranged at different depths, creating a rich texture that changes depending on the light and the viewer's perspective. The facade has a changeable character, thanks to foldable wooden shutters on the ground floor. When the house is unoccupied, these shutters can be closed, making the house appear more reserved and protected. When the owners are present, the shutters open to connect the interior with the surrounding scenery. In stark contrast to the dark exterior, the interior is bright and minimalist, defined by the use of light birch plywood surfaces. This choice of material creates a warm and inviting atmosphere, with built-in storage and joinery seamlessly integrated into the walls to maximize space. The floor plan is organized vertically, with a ""reversed"" layout. The ground floor contains the bedrooms, a bathroom, and a workspace, while the upper floor is dedicated to the kitchen, dining, and living areas. This arrangement allows the main living spaces to benefit most from the panoramic views. Project credits Architects: Oliver Christen Architekten Photography: Rasmus Norlander Location: Flumserberg, St. Gallen, Switzerland"

"The On Mountain Hut was a sustainable, zero-impact retreat designed by Thilo Alex Brunner, head of design at Swiss running brand On. Completed in 2019, the temporary, 204-square-foot modular cabin was built on the remote Piz Lunghin mountain in the Swiss Alps, an area at over 2,500 meters of elevation. The project was created to celebrate the company's origins and to mark the launch of its first hiking shoe. It was only accessible by foot, and after its limited run, it was disassembled to leave no trace on the pristine alpine landscape The hut's design emphasized minimalism and reduction. The exterior was clad in a reflective metal that helped it blend into its natural, mountainous surroundings. Inside, the cabin was lined almost entirely with warm, inviting plywood, used for the floors, walls, and built-in tables. A wood-burning stove provided warmth, creating a cozy atmosphere. The cabin featured a series of platforms that led guests from the entrance to a large glass viewpoint overlooking the valley. A lofted mezzanine with a bed offered a unique and elevated vantage point for taking in the stunning views. The off-grid structure was powered by solar panels and a rainwater collection system. Credits Architect: Thilo Alex Brunner Client: On Photographers: Anne Lutz and Thomas Stöckli Contractors: Freund Holzbau, Renggli "