68 LUXURY SKI CHALETS
slightly dingy but very charismatic. Now we mix old timber with contemporary clean white lines, like a cross between an Austrian barn and an Ibizan villa. Materials such as ceramic timber are very credible products and have helped design to evolve.’ Adam Knibb, who runs Architect in the
Alps alongside his eponymous UK studio, has noticed similar trends: ‘Over the past decade, chalets have shifted from being purely rustic retreats to becoming highly sophisticated homes. Clients now expect the warmth and character of traditional Alpine architecture but with the clean lines, expansive glazing and smart technology of contemporary design. Tere’s a stronger focus on blurring inside and outside – large windows framing views, terraces with fire pits, and seamless transitions to nature. Well-being has also risen up the agenda: spas, saunas, yoga spaces and daylight- filled interiors are considered essentials.’ Knibb is working on a chalet in Tignes, with
stone and timber cladding anchoring it within the Alpine context, while large glass windows
CASE STUDY LA FLÈCHE
Strict environmental regulations in Mont Tremblant, Québec, meant this contemporary mountain chalet was allowed no visible outdoor lighting. Its name comes from the rooflines that evoke an arrow, while concealing a lower garden level entirely from view. The body of the house is clad in wood and dry-stacked stone, their soft tones blending with the surrounding forest.
Architects: MU Architecture Structural engineer: Geniex
Main contractor: Groupe Laverdure Construction
on the first floor present a contemporary twist, and offer wide ranging views of snowy landscapes. A recently completed project in Courchevel, in association with Pasfield and Park Interiors, was a similar mix of tradition and contemporary design. ‘Overly heavy mock-Alpine aesthetics,
such as dark wood panelling, small windows and cramped interiors have fallen out of favour. Clients are less interested in ostentatious, purely decorative features. Instead, they want something authentic, refined, and responsive to its setting rather than a pastiche,’ he says. ‘We’re seeing expansive glazing to maximise mountain views, flexible living spaces that adapt to both family and entertaining, discreet technology and the use of natural, tactile materials like stone, timber and lime render, balanced with contemporary detailing.’ Te requirement in many Alpine areas that
ski chalets conform to a strictly traditional aesthetic – at odds with the desire of many clients for a contemporary design – is an
ongoing challenge. Studio Razavi + Partners completed Mountain House in Chamonix, which treads that delicate line. Alireza Razavi, studio founder explains: ‘In this highly preserved Alpine valley, stringent architectural guidelines allow for little architectural freedom. Strict guidelines are enforced to protect the local heritage but that creates endless pastiche mountain homes.’ Te problem was solved by relating directly to the area’s ancient building typology of stacking living areas above storage and animal barns. Studio Razavi created a heritage code- compliant building by translating this into car parking, ski room and living quarters vertically stacked. ‘Tis allowed us to create a progressive experience in the building, from darker, compressed spaces to gradually more open, light-filled, higher ceilings and greater views out. Celebrating nature was, of course, the pinnacle,’ says Razavi. ‘Tis comes as the final experience, up on the last floor, fully framing the view by extending the building envelope to the outside.’
PHOTOS: RAPHAËL THIBODEAU
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