Chesa Futura - Foster + Partners

 Chesa Futura
St Moritz, Switzerland
2000 - 2004
Chesa Futura ('house of the future' in Romansch) fuses state-of-the-art computer design tools with centuries-old
construction techniques to create an environmentally sensitive apartment building. Although its form is novel, it is
framed and clad in timber - one of the oldest and most sustainable building materials. In Switzerland, building in
timber is particularly appropriate in that it follows traditions developed and refined over centuries. The building's
larch shingles respond naturally to exposure to the elements, changing colour over time to a silver-grey, and
should last for a hundred years without the need for maintenance.
The building consists of three storeys of apartments and two underground levels of car parking, plant and storage.
Although small, the site is spectacularly located on the edge of a steep slope that looks down over St Moritz
towards the lake. Responding to this location and to weather patterns in the Engadin Valley, the building's bubblelike form allows balconies on the southern side to open up to sunlight and views, while the north facade is more
closed, punctuated with deep window openings in the Engadin tradition. In St Moritz, where snow lies on the
ground for months at a time, there is a tradition of elevating buildings to avoid the danger of wood decaying due to
prolonged exposure to moisture. That tradition is reinterpreted here by raising the building on pilotis and allowing
the ground plane to flow uninterrupted beneath it - a move that also allows the lower apartments to enjoy views
that would otherwise be denied.
Taken overall, Chesa Futura might be regarded as a mini manifesto for architecture, not just in Engadin but in
other parts of the world too. Contrary to the pattern of sprawl that disfigures the edges of so many expanding
communities, it shows how new buildings can be inserted into the existing grain at increased densities, while
sustaining indigenous building techniques and preserving the natural environment.
Roof is highly insulated and clad in copper - a traditional local roofing material. High performance glazing to south
elevation.
Hand cut wooden shingle cladding obtained from 80 local trees.
Double-curved timber frame shell highly insulated.
Location: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=46.49921,9.83756
Area: 4 650 m²