A humble cottage of a home in front of the majestic backdrop of Switzerland’s snowcapped mountains, Haus Lumbrein offers warmth and simplicity to its inhabitants. Despite its log-cabin façade (which actually doubles as a sun shade) the home provides a sophisticated transition from the natural environment into the constructed. In dealing with varying elevations within the house, Morger + Dettli Architekten takes advantage of the site hidden in the crook of a hillside. Entry from the ground floor leads to a wooden wall guarding a set of stairs that ascends to a spacious upper floor. The gabled roof is upheld by a wood-burning stove, the steely complexion matching the black accents of the dining table chairs, curtain rods, and finally ladder that leads to an egress onto the top of the hill. The movement from one floor to the next mirrors the experience of climbing a mountain, and perhaps, also serves as an instigator for such an adventure in the Swiss hinterlands.
