CHESA FUTURA, SWITZERLAND
BY AR. NORMAN FOSTER
Yashasvi Patel 2021UAR1230
Akhila Chivukula 2021UAR1248
Vidhi Singh 2021UAR1217
K Chetan Dora 2021UAR1229
INTRODUCTION
Building Name: CHESA FUTURA
(‘House of the Future’ in Romansch)
Architect: Norman Foster
Location: Via Tinus 25, 7500 St. Moritz,
Switzerland
Co-ordinates: 46.4992° N, 9.8375° E
Building Typology: Residential
A climate responsive, sustainable
apartment building achieved using
indigenous and vernacular building
techniques.
SITE MAP
TOPOGRAPHY
St. Moritz lies on the southern slopes of the Albula Alps, overlooking the flat and wide
glaciated valley of the Upper Engadine and the Lake of St. Moritz.
Region: Alpine
Elevation: 1800 m above sea level
In St. Moritz, the snow lies on the ground for months at a
time, in response to this, there is a local tradition of
elevating the buildings to protect the wood from being
decayed due to prolonged exposure to moisture.
The building is perched on the edge of a steep slope,
overlooking the lake. Elevation from ground
LAND USE
Agricultural Purposes
Forest Area
Settler Land
Unproductive
Other View from building
GENERAL CLIMATE
CLIMATE PORTRAIT OF SWITZERLAND T: Low pressure area directly over
Frequencies of flow directions over Switzerland
Switzerland for every day of the year. H: High pressure area directly over
W: Westerly Switzerland.
NW: Northwesterly
N: Northerly Climate type: Moderate
NO: Northeasterly St. Moritz, Switzerland is located in
O: Easterly the Temperate zone between the
SO: Southeasterly
Arctic circle and the Tropic of Cancer.
S: Southerly
SW: Southwesterly flow
Climate Normals
Long-time development of the average
annual temperature in Switzerland
since 1864.
Illustrated as deviation from the average
of the normal period from 1961-1990.
Years marked in red were warmer, and
years marked in blue colder than the
normal value. The normal period from
1991-2020 is shown with a dotted line
for comparison.
Average duration of sunshine in January in
Switzerland.
The illustration shows the normal values of
measured hours of sunshine from 1991-2020
relative to the maximum possible duration (in %).
SUN PATH DIAGRAM
WINDROSE DIAGRAMS
WINDROSE DIAGRAMS OF NEAREST STATIONS TO ST. MORITZ
Samedan: Piz Corvatsch:
Approx. 12.7 km South to St. Moritz. Approx. 12.4 km South to St. Moritz.
Altitude: 1709 m above sea level Altitude: 3302 m above sea level
REFERENCE
DESIGN CONCEPT
Foster’s design was driven by the views and
orientation which generated complex lines in
space, it is very site responsive, so much that it
dictated the building’s form. Concept by Norman Foster
The round kidney-bean like form of Chesa
Futura enables openings to wrap around the
building so that the vista is more than a flat wall
from all sides.
The coat of textured wood gives the building an
organic, warm vibe.
The spacious, recessed terraces create sheltered
outdoor room that allow natural daylight and
the breathtaking views flow into the living
spaces of the residents.
CONCEPT DRAWINGS
MATERIALITY
The building exterior is clad in hand-
cut timber shingles which were fixed
in-situ.
Timber was chosen as it is an
indigenous, locally available,
sustainable and renewable resource.
The frame and wall panels were
prefabricated in Germany using
advanced CNC machinery.
The Roof is made of Copper, a long
local tradition, as it stays sufficiently
malleable even when temperatures
drop below 12 degrees.
The steel supports elevating the
building are called Pilotis.
Glass parapet wall used for balconies
and ground floor wall as it gives a
sense of community.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES
The foundation consists of a sunken concrete box that
houses the: plant rooms, car parking and storage units.
Above the ground the building is supported by a steel
‘table’ with 8 legs.
Two concrete cores house the service areas (lifts and
stairwells) which provide additional stability.
The remaining façade is all pre-fabricated, glue-laminated
beams with thin sections of wood and some skin of
plywood sheets glued together.
Timber can be carved to achieve the building’s bean-like shape. Timber is also lighter than steel and
can be used in larger quantities without worrying about the structural load and it is also cheaper to
transport than steel, not to mention it’s locally abundant at the site.
DRAWINGS
PLAN
SECTION
THE END
