Hidden treasures

Not far from the Swiss city of St. Gallen and close to Lake Constance, the chalet sits on a gentle slope with an unobstructed view of the rolling foothills of the Alps. At first glance, it appears rather small, inevitably raising the question of how it can offer 400 square metres of living space. The answer lies underground. While, above ground, the chalet has a single storey with a partly open-plan loft space, below ground, it boasts three further floors, just one of which looks out onto the hillside. Below this lie two more, home, among other things, to the owner’s car collection. These floors can only be reached via a hidden lift. Indeed, the topic of “hidden technology” is a common thread running throughout the architecture and functionality of the chalet. 

The timber house presents a purist, streamlined version of typical regional buildings, with its larch shingle exterior façade, even including the doors. The exterior design is just as linear as the building itself. Flat hedges provide expansive views of the valley and the mountains opposite, while a pool seamlessly integrated into the terrace offers a cooling oasis on hot summer days. Inside, all elements are built of larch and ash, with a mezzanine providing a spectacular panoramic view. The tradition lies in the detail, for example the vertical pulleys for the windows, which have been used in the region for centuries. A regional focus was also a requirement in realising this project, with all materials and craftspeople coming from the local area. All aspects of this construction project are fully reversible and the chalet can also generate its own energy.

In successfully combining the owner’s technical requirements with interior design aesthetics, the planners achieved a masterstroke: Chalet 4.0 is equipped with innovative, complex technology from top to bottom, but none of it is visible. No speakers, no light switches, no lamps, no TV. Everything is hidden in the wooden room elements, walls and ceilings, yet still offers excellent technical performance. For example, a special audio system turns the house into a private concert hall with perfect acoustics, all without visible speakers. Even the extensive building technology goes unnoticed in the background, for example a Gira KNX system and the Gira FacilityServer, which enable the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, security systems and even household appliances to be fully networked. This means that everything can be controlled remotely from a smartphone or tablet via cloud access, if needed. Gira pushbutton sensors 4.55 and the Gira G1 multi-touch display have been installed for manual operation, but these are likewise cleverly hidden. The ideal combination of Swiss understatement and good taste.