Everywhere I look – albeit in my fairly limited areas of interest: modern, mountain, European, houses in amazing natural settings – I am seeing way too much hard, cold, boring concrete used in monstrous quantities. Sometimes I really like the design, but feel there just needs to be a break from the monolithic monotony with the introduction of another complementary material – wood, raw stone or stucco. Sometimes, even color works, as in the last 2 images here. – GF
While most of the houses in the town we visit in Switzerland look like this: we were not altogether surprised to see this little house that, sort of like a mushroom or a periscope which it resembles, popped right up when we weren't looking. There will be 5 of them eventually, side by side, oriented to look across the lower old town and up the valley. They will have 3.5 or 4.5 rooms, have 92 square meters of floor space, and sell for 490,000 Swiss francs, or $460,095.40 at the time of this post. The website promoting them, homegate.ch, says they possess these qualities: a view, fireplace, cable TV, parking and garage, balcony (and sitzplatz), internet connection (I think . . .) and that it is child-friendly. My on-line translator describes it as: Contemporary architecture, light-through-flooded areas with prospect into the mountain world. When I passed the house in the evening or at night, it looked glowy, warm and inviting. No curtains were drawn so I could see the family gathered in the livingroom, relaxing on what looked like fittingly modern, simple furniture. Unfortunately, when I went back with my camera, no one was home, the curtains were drawn and the look really changed back to a job site.
If we are so fortunate to be able to go back next year, it will be interesting to see how the project Surfabricaziun 5 turns out. I only wish that they would be adorned with the traditional exterior decoration of the Engadin area, sgraffito. – GF
Modern + Alpine = Heaven on earth for me . . . simple, fresh and elemental; warmth of inside welcoming the fresh wake-up of outside – reveling in both at the same time. I'd be here in a heartbeat. Moormannberge are apartments for rent in Aschau im Chiemgau, Germany. Reading the website, my very basic knowledge of German tells me that they are in Bavaria, a southern and incredibly beautiful part of the country, and that that the buildings seem to be a former factory for making furniture(?).
The buildings have been transformed into a maybe 13 or more Wohnungen - rental vacation apartments. The ones to the left above are more "hostel-like". And these, below, are more private and refined. ALL seem to be renovated and outfitted beautifully - I'd like to go right now! – GF
I bumbled into a website called nextroom Architektur out of Austria, thus adding to the ever-growing list of ways to feed my modern mountain house daydreaming and avoid doing my paying work. Nextroom was founded by Swiss architect Juerg Meister in 1996: "Architectural institutions select buildings for inclusion. Expert juries create theme-based collections. Nextroom links the data with information, illustrations and press reviews."
From nextroom, you can follow links to the website of the firms that look particularly enticing (since I'm most interested in single-family houses to see design ideas put into use, this link takes you to a list of them, but there are lists of industrial and public buildings and projects as well). Poking through all these entries and links - what a great way to spend a snowy afternoon! (photos below from K M Architektur) – GF
Fueling my interests in alpine and prefab architecture, I was happy to learn about The Heidis, designed in 1999 by Milanese Matteo Thun + Partners. This prefab house fits in nicely on the alp landscape. I like the way the beds are built in in the kids' room – GF
Everywhere I look – albeit in my fairly limited areas of interest: modern, mountain, European, houses in amazing natural settings – I am seeing way too much hard, cold, boring concrete used in monstrous quantities. Sometimes I really like the design, but feel there just needs to be a break from the monolithic monotony with the introduction of another complementary material – wood, raw stone or stucco. Sometimes, even color works, as in the last 2 images here. – GF
