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.

Sep 28, 2020 - 21:00

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.

Currently, three of the 21 chalets are completed and were bookable during the summer 2020 season. An additional four chalets are under construction with a slated completion date at the end of 2020. The 14 remaining chalets are expected to be complete by the end of 2021.

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.

Located 1,400 meters above sea level, the high-altitude resort above Monthey, Switzerland combines ecology and luxury with its cozy yet low-impact hotel suites, wellness-focused amenities and proximity to 25 kilometers of marked hiking trails. — Located 4,600 feet above sea level, the high-altitude Whitepod resort near Monthey, Switzerland, offers cozy, low-impact hotel suites, wellness-focused amenities, and proximity to 15 miles of marked hiking trails.

Riechsteiner

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.