The design brief was for a small cabin with a roof, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom – the necessities for resuming the mountain trek begun the day before in the V región of San Esteban, Chile.
The proposal involved building, through planes and angles, a structure that provides an entrance through its folds and exterior views through its cuts. Built around a central core of services, the exterior shape and interior volume are defined by the folds.
At one end of the 60m² cabin is the bedroom, along with a storage room for mountaineering equipment. The other end features a sitting area where the nearby mountain draws the eye toward the panoramic view.
The exterior is finished in pine, metal elements and picture windows that perform both structural and volumetric functions.
The cabin rests on piles, making it a self-contained object suspended above the ground. The building is ventilated on all sides; the updraft from the mountain provides airflow through a series of dedicated openings.
This is the point of arrival and departure for the mountaineer’s treks. It is not just a lookout and a shelter, but a special place for contemplation and relaxation. It is a true refuge.

Gonzalo Iturriaga Arquitectos

The post Mountaineer’s Refuge was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The architects took on this project when it was on the verge of being abandoned, in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, designing a modern addition with emphasis on the magnificent views towards Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps.
The site is very close to the boundary of a protected wilderness, making the building’s orientation and structure key constraints. As a result, the building’s main structure features a classic design based on stone and wood, in sharp contrast with its modern addition, which is characterised by generous windows and impressive, distinct volumes.
The residence unfolds on three levels above ground: an existing stone and two new ones with a metal and wood structure.
The stone level comprises en-suite bedrooms as well as the master bedroom with a large bathroom. The communal spaces with the sitting and dining areas and the kitchen are laid in open plan on the first floor. There, the use of glass panels on the staircase and kitchen allows for spectacular views towards three iconic peaks, the two Drus and the Aiguille Verte.
The mezzanine, suspended above the lounge, is implemented so as not to compromise the view of the Aiguilles de Chamonix mountains.
The stone sub-basement level, part of the foundation which also unifies the separate building volumes, comprises auxiliary spaces as well as a swimming pool that features a window well affording a view of the spectacular scenery.
Τhe many recycled wood construction elements were chosen and sourced through careful research requiring significant colorimetry work to ensure suitably consistent tones. Finally, the latest home automation systems, integrated into the project from the very beginning, complete the atmosphere of comfort.

Chevallier Architectes

The post Chalet Whymper was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The “Blanche” Chalet, whose name evokes the spirit of the vernacular houses of the region, is situated in La Malbaie’s area of the “Terrasses Cap à l’Aigle”.
Its simple and pure architecture gently complements the landscape of Charlevoix in a modern fashion. The raw concrete materiality of the lower level is a nod to the stone foundations of the old wooden barns that once swept the landscape. This base also serves as the foundation for the main entrance and houses the technical functions of the cottage. Perched on the podium, the upper two levels are clad in a white stained wood, which is reminiscent of lime plaster that was applied to the ancestral homes of the area. The wood is smooth or raw textured and, at times, creates an openwork siding, depending on the façade, bringing lightness and joy to the house.
The four bedrooms of the “Blanche” Chalet are centrally located in order to maximize the panoramic views of the living spaces that are at the top level. The kitchen and dining room are characterized by large 360-degree fenestration, while the living space is housed in a floating overhang whose unique form is reminiscent of the structure of vernacular bridges. This raised volume allows for a direct experience of the enchanting sunsets of Cap à l’Aigle and the shimmering reflections of the estuary of the St. Lawrence within the comforts of the home.
The house’s composition sensitively juxtaposes the spaces of common life and the private life (bedrooms). The abundant use of openings underlines a constant connection between the interior and nature, including the lake and the forest. The use of natural materials, such as stone, wood, and steel in pure and unique forms links the building to the context and invites contemplation.

ACDF Architecture

The post The “Blanche” Chalet was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The house is in a privileged position, at the edge of a slope with vineyards facing the Swiss alps, with sun light during the four seasons.
The 200m2 house comprises an open plan living space, with the kitchen, dining and sitting areas on the south side, three bedrooms, a study room, two bathrooms, as well as laundry room, a technical room, pantry and storage rooms. All spaces are on the same level, except the two double height children bedrooms with loft with bed and tv.
The project was created around the local building code, which imposes each house to have a dark grey pitched roof for a better integration with the environment. Starting from this constraint, the idea developed into an homogeneous solution using the same material for both the roof and façades, in order to provide the building with a monolithic aspect, like a stone in the landscape.
The only exception is the South elevation, facing the valley, which grants a spectacular 180 degree view through a curtain-wall that encloses the living area and folds inside creating a loggia to be used in the warmer months.
The entire building structure was assembled in just a few days, with prefabricated and thermally insulated wood elements, ideal for this type of climate.
The final cladding material uniforming the shell is a ventilated façade with porcelain stoneware tiles and an invisible fastening system. To complete the energy efficiency of the building, the glass façade of the living area has a curtain wall with thermally broken aluminium horizontal profiles and vertical glass fins, and with insulated selective and low-e glass. The rest of the windows have a thermally broken aluminium profile with triple insulated glazing. Heating is under-floor, with cooling provided by natural ventilation.
The same porcelain stoneware material has been applied to the custom designed folding shutters, to match and align with the façade pattern when they are closed.
The six-sided roof is offset toward the mountain and it’s calibrated to have the largest side with the same mountain inclination, for a better integration with the landscape.

JMA

The post Montebar villa was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Located in Mansonville, a quiet area of the Eastern Townships in Québec, the Nook Residence sits in continuity with the landscape in which it is part. Turning its back to the street, it offers a virtually blind facade that encourages discovery and piques curiosity. Strategically located openings and a large gap in the white mass give a hint at the beautiful Canadian scenery below the two-storey building with an area of 280m².
Inside, the clear sequence of open living spaces on the ground floor successively unveils different views of Lake Memphremagog to the visitor. Separating public from private spaces, a relaxation and contemplation area comes in as a pause in the architecture discovery course. Acting as lounge suspended over the void, this interior balcony between two levels allows views of the site in all its splendour.
The steep terrain quickly dictated the first project constraints. The house clings to the steep terrain and seems to be projecting toward the Lake. Like an origami, the two volumes are linked by a dynamic bending ribbon that merges the roofs together. The created projections act as solar shading and protect a huge terrace facing south.
A white painted wood decay uniformly coats all sides and allows a more delicate integration of the building in its environment. Inside, the sobriety of the materials creates a canvas for a space that is both bright and warm. Polished concrete radiant floors, black ceramic tiles and walnut furniture punctuate the space with elegance. Cedar ceilings extend outside in continuity with the roof soffits outside, stretching sights to the Lake, while abundant windows erase the boundaries between inside and outside. A black staircase, in the continuity with the railing, leads to the lower level comprising two large bedrooms, a bathroom and a dormitory with apparent board-formed concrete walls.
Acting as a landmark through the lush summer, the house changes with the seasons and its whiteness blends into the winter landscape as a tribute to the great Québec winters.

MU Architecture

The post Le Nook was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The residence is anchored on a sloping site next to the ski resort Le Relais, in Lac-Beauport, Canada. The plot site and its accentuated relief, offering magnificent views of the Laurentian hills and Lac-Beauport’s residential area, inspired the building design.
Volumes and materials unite to create a distinctive entrance, while
the sloped roof integrates the project into its built environment in a respectful way.
The lower level acts as a base, leaning against the ground and opening up completely to the North. The upper floor seems to float above the concrete ground floor. The living areas are cantilevered to create unique painting-like views, while floor to ceiling openings offer unobstructed views of the mountain landscape. The access road below ensures the privacy of living spaces despite the generous fenestration.
The roof overhangs stretch over the exterior decks. The rich white cedar ceiling covering the upper floor expands beneath the roof, emphasizing continuity between interior and exterior.
The geometry of the volume and the choice of window positions create surprising atmospheres that change according to interior functions. The dining room’s zenithal skylight offers an elegant view of the treetops and allows indirect light to play on the cedar laths. The central concrete wall whose rough finish shows the marks left by the formwork, gives the project verticality, and is complemented by the steel and wood staircase next to it.
With interaction between volumes and the main façade’s horizontality reminiscing some California villas, this mountain home creates a strong presence in the panorama.

Bourgeois/Lechasseur architects

The post Villa Vingt was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The design intervention in an existing, awarded chalet revisited the aesthetics of typical mountain houses, altering the original plans and elevations in order to counterbalance the dynamic design of the existing exterior with a new adequate interior that avoids the clichés of what a chalet should look like.
The dwelling with an area of 150 m2 borders a forest area on its north, while on the south side it enjoys unlimited views of the valley. The construction unfolds on three levels and is covered by a mono-pitched roof. On the lower level are the bedrooms, bath and sauna. The ground level, comprises the main entrance, the living area and the kitchen, as well as a secondary, more private sitting area that is organized around the fireplace.
A thin metal stairway leads from the living room to the loft. The perforated Corten steel sheet acts as a lightweight divider between the two levels, simultaneously allowing the light to pass through its uneven circular cross-section holes. Among the changes made to the existing building, apart from the ground plan, was the modification of some openings in order to frame the spectacular view to the forest better or create cosy window seats.
Our design vision was a contemporary yet warm space that will respect the existing cell and integrate well with the extraordinary surroundings. The concept was to elaborately combine natural materials – like rustic woodwork- with finishes and textures typically used for more industrial design. Perforated Corten steel, laser cut metal work, wood grid and 3d mosaic tiling in the bathrooms were some of the main features in the house. All furniture and lighting were also part of the interior proposal.

Kokosalaki | Architecture

The post Interventions was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.