A pied-à-terre in the snow. Morgins—a small Alpine village of undeniable charm—lies tucked into a hollow of the Valais Alps. Overlooking the settlement, the chalet occupies an undeveloped plot on the village’s edge. Conceived as a secluded haven for a family who lives here year-round, the volume slots into a gently sloping site. Arranged over three levels, it is entered from below beneath a generous canopy. The base of the chalet—a semi-buried ground floor—contains an entrance hall, a workshop and a guest bedroom.
The middle floor is a 360-degree window onto the landscape. Entirely glazed and literally bathed in natural light, the living area is set on display. Flanked on both sides by a terrace, this first floor follows an open-plan layout. At its center, a solid core houses the vertical circulation that links the three storeys.
As if floating above the glazed level, the attic holds three bedrooms separated by a service band incorporating two bathrooms. Resting on a concrete plinth, the timber structure of the attic rises into a roof frame that unfolds to provide generous eaves. A dark, blackened-wood façade conceals the round windows of the upper floors.