Ski house

The Red Ski House is a high-altitude modular retreat perched among the granite giants of the Swiss Alps, just above the famed slopes of Engelberg in the canton of Obwalden. Suspended at nearly 3,100 meters (over 10,000 feet) above sea level, each unit sits at the edge of a glacial ridge, offering a front-row seat to the Titlis massif and the star-laden Alpine sky.

Fabricated off-site in the valley below and air-lifted by helicopter, the entire development rose from concept to completion in under six months. Every module is composed of three essential elements: a mirrored solar disk with a minimal concrete anchoring core, an insulated red living volume that stands out like a welcoming Alpine beacon, and a compact mechanical pod tucked neatly within.

The structure relies on a lightweight steel frame paired with aluminum sandwich panels packed with sustainably sourced stone wool insulation. This composition grants both remarkable rigidity and the thermal fortitude needed in a climate where storms arrive like sudden symphonies of wind and snow.

The circular solar disk plays a clever environmental trick. It reflects precious winter sunlight to the underside of the dark-clad house, helping maintain an interior temperature near 15 degrees Celsius (60 Fahrenheit) with minimal fossil energy. Guests stay warm while the mountains stay wild.

Standing within a protected national park, the design treads lightly. Instead of a conventional concrete foundation, each module is elevated on steel posts that touch the earth like ski poles, allowing seasonal snowflows to pass beneath and preserving delicate alpine flora. Lean construction practices minimized transportation and waste, so the mountain serenity stayed serene.

The result is an entirely reversible architecture. Should the resort ever embark on a new adventure, the modules can be dismounted and relocated with no trace left in the landscape other than the memories of sunrise-lit peaks and the scent of pine carried on high winds.

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