The Goms in the Swiss Valais is the uppermost valley of the Rhone. Surrounded by mountains between 3,000 and 4,000 meters lies the village of Geschinen. It’s a small village with old wooden houses. The Leerschir is one of these houses. Built in 1897 as a cow barn, the building was converted in 2011 in a house with three apartments. The apartments are bright and modern designed and offer contemporary comfort. Between the new white walls the old larch wood is still visible. A heat pump, on Swiss “Erdsondenheizung”, supplies the floor heating in all rooms. The Leerschir is in all seasons a good starting point for exploring the upper valley and to enjoy the surrounding mountains.

Country/Region: CH-Switzerland, Valais, Goms, Geschinen
Name: Leerschir
Scenery: Alps, high Rhone valley, close to Aletsch Glacier
Type of accommodation: apartment
Architecture: old&new
Completion: 2011
Architect: Weger AG, www.wegerag.ch
Press/Publication: ./.
Awards: ./.
Homepage: www.feriengoms.ch
Special Features: some of the apartments can be combined

A home away from home. That’s the impression which welcomes guests to the Brücke 49 in the Swiss mountain village of Vals. The house is located next to the new Rhine bridge, which explains the name (Brücke = bridge). The house was once built as a villa with a French influence: A local builder constructed the house, but the plans were drawn up in Paris. The building combines a typical local style with (for Vals) unusually large and high rooms.
Ruth Kramer and Thomas Schacht took over the house in 2010 and carefully restored it. For the interior, they chose an eclectic mix of old and new, period furniture and iconic designs and quality in the details. The result is a bed&breakfast address for people with a passion for design, architecture and originality – and those who are in search of a fresh mountain breeze.

Country/Region: Vals, Graubünden, Schwitzerland
Name: Brücke 49
Scenery: mountain village
Type of accommodation: Bed & Breakfast
Architecture: old&new
Completion: 2011
Architect: Ruth Kramer / Thomas Schacht / Paul Furger
Press/Publication: ./.
Awards: ./.
Homepage: www.brucke49.ch
Special Features: The B&B is close to the Spa Therme Vals. Vals is also a good place for skiing.

Commeire is a a small mountain villages in Switzerland, 1450 meters about sea level. It is one of these remote places, where people lived self-sufficient for centuries. Each family owned several buildings, including a barn for the cattle. Times have changed and today no one works as a farmer anymore. So there was the need for a new use of these old barns. Several of them were carefully converted to modern holiday homes, but they kept a lot of their original character.
The barns are scattered throughout the small village, each has its own individual atmosphere. Depending on the size, four to ten people can stay in such a house.
The Montagne Alternative is a remarkable project, which is still growing. It brings new life to the old mountain village

Country/Region: Schwitzerland, Wallis, Commune of Orsières, Commeire
Name: Montagne Alternative
Scenery: in an old mountain village, with fantastic views
Type of accommodation: house / resort
Architecture: old&new
Completion: since 2009
Architect: dl-i, designlab-intérieurs, CH-Sàrl, Patrick Devanthéry
Press/Publication: several, e.g. Le Temps, Habiter, Wellness & Santé Magazine
Awards: ./.
Homepage: www.montagne-alternative.com
Special Features: several buildings scattered throughout the village

Zumthor. It’s just this name and you start to think about spaces. Spaces with a surprising materiality and an outstanding atmosphere. These are the pictures you know about the spa Therme Vals. But there is more. The baths is just a part of a hotel complex with four other buildings.
The hotel was built in the late 1960s and is characterized by the style of this period. Parts of the houses were modernized. 60 rooms were redesigned by Peter Zumthor. 40 of them, called “Provisorien” (Temporaries) as a reference to the renewal process, can be found in the main building, where Zumthor also redesigned the restaurant and lounge. The other 20 rooms, named the “Stucco Rooms”, are situated in House Selva which is close by. But House Selva has not only rooms designed by Zumthor: Several were renovated in the 1980s and 1990s. And finally, there are rooms which are still in the original condition of the 1960s. These rooms have separated foldaway beds.
You can see that the Hotel Therme Vals is a place, which is successfully trying to renew itself without losing its origin. This makes a visit not only worth to experience contemporary architecture, but also to have a look back into architectural ideas of the last 40-50 years. But of course you can also simply enjoy the surrounding mountains.

Country/Region: Schwitzerland, Graubuenden, Vals
Name: Hotel Therme Vals
Scenery: alpine landscape, on the hillside overlooking the valley
Type of accommodation: hotel
Architecture: old&new
Completion: 2006
Architect: Atelier Peter Zumthor & Partner AG, Haldenstein
Press/Publication: many !
Awards: ./.
Homepage: www.therme-vals.ch
Special Features: Vals also is a nice (but hardly known) ski area.
Pictures: Therme Vals

Something unusual started in the late 1950s outside of Bern, Switzerland: In the middle of the woods, above the river Aare, five young architects inspired by the concepts of Le Corbusier wanted to build an entire settlement. At that time halen was discussed controversially, today it is a listed site and all units are occupied. If you nevertheless want to feel the spirit of this idea, you can come to the B&B Halen, which provides a place to stay for up to three guests. So you can enjoy halen and Bern is also easy to reach by bus or bicycle.

Country/Region: CH-Switzerland, Bern, Herrenschwanden
Name: B&B Halen
Scenery: In a forest glade above the Aare-river, in the center of the settlement Halen
Type of accommodation: Bed & Breakfast
Architecture: modern
Completion: 1962
Architect: Atelier 5, Bern, Switzerland
Press/Publication: various, e.g. Bau und Architektur 1/06, Schöner Wohnen Schweiz 4/06, betonprisma online
Awards: ./.
Homepage: www.bnb-halen.ch
Special Features: use of swimming pool in summer, bicycle rental

Country/Region: CH-Switzerland, Oberwallis, Weiler Eggen
Name: Huberhaus
Scenery: Bellwald, alpine
Lodging: house
Architecture: old&new, historical
Completion: 2008 (Conversion)
Architect: Bernhard Stucky, mls-architekten.ch, Zermatt
Press/Publication: ./.
Awards: ./.
Homepage: magnificasa.ch | English Translation
Special Features: The “Huberhaus” is a traditional alpine “Strickbau” from the 16th Century. The old beams, the soapstone stove in the room and the creaky floors convey show charm of old wooden houses – the kitchen and bathroom are new.
The house is operated by “„Ferien im Baudenkmal“ (Holiday in the monument), a project of the Swiss Heritage Protection at the interface of tourism and historic preservation. On their website magnificasa.ch (English Translation) you find more houses to rent.

Villa Vals is designed by Bjarne Mastenbroek and Christian Müller, respectively of the architectural offices SeARCH and CMA. Their design plan was to completely integrate the villa into the landscape to avoid disturbing the unspoiled nature. That is why access to the villa is only possible via the nearby wooden Graubünder shed, through an underground tunnel which runs straight through the mountainside. The facade of the house is slightly slanted, adding to the view of the mountain scenery across the valley opposite of the house.
The house, which was completed in 2009, was built and furnished in cooperation with a large number of Dutch designers and companies that produce Dutch design.

Country/Region: CH-Switzerland, Vals
Name: Villa Vals
Scenery: Vals
Lodging: house
Architecture: modern
Completion: 2009
Architects:
- Bjarne Mastenbroek (Search), NL-Amsterdam | project
- Christian Müller (CMA), NL-Rotterdam | project
Press/Publication: many !
Awards: 2011 wallpaper design award
Homepage: villavals.ch
Special Features: The house is close to the famous spa in Vals Therme Vals.

Country/Region: CH-Switzerland, Fürigen
Name: im Spycher
Scenery: Lake Lucerne
Lodging: house
Architecture: historical, old&new
Completion: 2010 (renovation)
Architects: Thomas Grolimund & Marco Gander (renovation)
Press/Publication: ./.
Awards: ./.
Homepage: imspycher.ch | Translation
Special Features: The 300-year-old building was taken over 40 years ago to the site above the Lake Lucerne. In 2010 it was renovated.

Country/Region: CH-Switzerland, Canton of Bern, Grindelwald
Name: Berghaus Bort
Scenery: Bernese Highlands, Alpes
Lodging: Hotel
Architecture: old&new
Completion: 2009 (refurbishment)
Architect: Spaett Achitekten, Konstanz | Project (in German)
Press/Publication: some (all in German)
Awards: ./.
Homepage: berghaus-bort.ch
Special Features: ./.

Land/Region: Schweiz, Appenzellerland, Urnäsch
Name: Feriendorf Urnäsch
Lage/Landschaft: Appenzellerland
Typ: Ferienhaussiedlung (50 Einheiten)
Architektur: modern
Fertigstellung: 2008
Architekten: Dietrich | Untertrifaller Architekten, Bregenz
mit Prof. Roland Gnaiger – Projektinfos
Veröffentlichungen:

• Baumeister 02.2009
• Vorarlberger Architektur Institut
• Mikado

Preise/Auszeichnungen: Holzpreis Schweiz 2009, Anerkennung
Homepage: Reka.ch (German)
Besonderheiten: Häuser im “Minergie”-Niedrigenergiestandard