These Prefab Cabins Offer the Ultimate Eco Escape in the Heart of the Swiss Alps
A new suite of prefab timber cabins welcomes guests at the Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel.
A new suite of prefab timber cabins welcomes guests at the Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel.
Waking up in an alpine wonderland with warm croissants delivered to your doorstep is just one of the many charms of the Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel—and the resort recently debuted a new set of timber chalets that are prefabricated and energy self-sufficient.
Lausanne- and Los Angeles–based Montalba Architects designed the new additions to provide mountain housing for groups and families. The cabins complement the resort’s existing 18 geodesic dome-shaped tents—known as "Pods"—that were also designed by the firm.
The sloped terrain and the resort’s dedication to sustainability informed the architects’ decision to prefabricate the timber structures off-site for quick and easy assembly atop foundation slabs poured on-site.
The eco-chalets, the majority of which are still under construction, will be available in two layouts: a single-story 1,010-square-foot unit, and a two-story, 2,150-square-foot unit that takes advantage of the sloped landscape with living areas on the lower level and the bedrooms up above. It takes about three months to construct each single-story chalet, and it takes four to five months to complete each two-story chalet.
See the full story on Dwell.com: These Prefab Cabins Offer the Ultimate Eco Escape in the Heart of the Swiss Alps
Related stories: