The Primitve
Alpine Huts for Hikers
Fall 2017 - Third Year
Site: Alpine ridge, Zermatt, Switzerland
Professor: Steven Thompson
Individual Work

Architects and theologists have been exploring the idea of the Primitive Hut over centuries, which questions the relationship between men and nature. Brought up by architectural theorist Laguier in an Essay on Architecture, the idea argues that architecture’s virtue exists in its primitive state, and we shall learn from the ideal of the primitive hut in which architecture is valued as a part of a natural process.
The project asks for a temporary station for the hikers within the alpine ridge. It sits on the hiking trail of Höhenweg Höhbalmen, and begins and terminates at the train station as a loop. The station composes three huts spread across the site – a living hut, a dining hut, and a birdwatching hut.
In this harsh environment, especially during wintertime, what vitals for hikers is primitive: the accessibility to the protections of shelters, the availability of food, etc. The idea is to indicate how architecture reveals the concept of primitive within the context. By constructing three huts considering the aspects of materiality, site proposition, etc., human’s essential needs within nature are revealed through architectures as intrinsic work.





The site is located along the hiking trail of Höhenweg Höhbalmen, which is one of the most recommended in this region. It starts and ends at the Zermatt train station in a loop. Along the way, hikers have chances to grasp a variety scene of natural landscape, like the terrine filled with flowers or the overlook of entire Zermatt valley. The project sits adjacent to a short river channel and facing a forest across, and the small picturesque settlement Zmutt is down within a short distance.
The Train Station at the Start
Mountain Scenes
The Zmutt village
“The Matterhorn”


Primitive Hut
Typology
Architecture
Accessibility
Materiality
Weather Strategy
Site Proposition



N/A

Granary-barn






Stone House





Chalet House






Analogous diagrams of vernacular architectures
The series of diagrams is indicating the investigations of vernacular architectures across the alpine region in the aspects of site proposition, materiality, weather, and access. By learning from different typologies, the project gradually finds a language in engaging with nature.
![ClimateAnalysis [Recovered]-01.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0a3c0d_3c51a959d3ff4ffbb160b1ade80fff30~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_5,w_2400,h_1596/fill/w_474,h_315,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/ClimateAnalysis%20%5BRecovered%5D-01.jpg)


summer hut
winter hut
Weather conditions across seasons









Site plans in the summer and winter

Summer and Winter accesses and an underground pit
The idea is to propose a type of log house that can be easily constructed with local resources by a few men. It provides two accesses for summer and winter: one locates on the first floor while the other on the second with a ladder leading towards. It should also consist an underground pit to preserve food.

Locality
Ground Level
Access



Living Hut



Dining Hut



Birdwatching Hut
Three huts spread across the site. The detour of the trail is leading to the living hut in the north. The dining hut is adjacent to the woods, while a birdwatching hut is projecting to the river. The three of them with similar architectural language form a composition to provide the necessity for the hikers.

Roof details of the living hut

Roof details of the dinning hut

Roof details of the birdwatching hut

Alpine Huts
Summer
From April to October, the weather is nice and friendly. Hikers tend to engage with the environment more. They would take preserved jars of food from the underground pit, chopping the woods from the adjacent forest, or gather around the table.



Entrance of living hut
Entrance of Birdwatching tower
Entrance of Dining Hut



Second Floor of Birdwatching tower
Second floor of living hut
Deck at Dining Hut


Interior view of the living hut’s second floor
Interior view of the dining space

Perspective section showing the use of space
Alpine Huts
Winter
Piles of snow on the ground make hikers challenging to move through the field. When the main entrance of each hut is blocked, additional access is provided at each. After climbing up into cabins, hikers would feel protected and gain a sense of warmth.



Entrance of living hut
Entrance of Birdwatching tower
Entrance of Dining Hut



The storage of the dinning hut
Second floor of living hut
Coking counter at dining hut


View of the field from the birdwatching hut’s top platform
View towards the indoor of dining hut

Perspective section showing the use of space