lionel ballmer architecte
Small House
best architects 23
single family homes
Place
Haute-Nendaz, Switzerland
Studio
Photos
Julie Masson
Description
Located in the mountain
resort of Haute-Nendaz, this small wooden house and its adjacent workshop are
nestled in a wooded area planted some fifty years ago by the family of the
owner of the neighbouring chalet. The buildings are set opposite the family’s
house, therefore densifying the existing plot by dividing it into two parts. The
shifted placement of the house and workshop creates a central area: an intimate
garden, cut off from the rest of the world despite close proximity to the parental
chalet and the neighbouring summer camp building. The monolithic small house is
entirely covered on all five sides with cladding made of rough larch strips
from the region. Inside the house, a central staircase acts as the backbone of
the project. It serves five half-levels, each composed of two distinct spaces. This
interior maze opens onto a succession of «small worlds», thus creating the
impression of living in a place that is larger than it actually is. This quest
for both spatial and material minimalism goes against the consumerist dictates
of contemporary society. From a construction standpoint, the entire skeleton –
interior partitions, perimeter walls, slabs, roofing and furniture – is
composed of cross-laminated timber made of locally sourced spruce. The
construction phase lasted only six months. The heating and hot water are
produced by a pellet boiler. Radiators placed under the furniture distribute
the heat evenly in each room. In summer, the trees bordering the plot create
large areas of shade.