Above the Valley - Architecture with a Free View over Davos Village
Above the high promenade, at an altitude of 1,600 m, lies this 3.5-room apartment in an ensemble designed by Wild Bär Heule Architects. The two buildings follow the topography of the slope and open up to the south towards the Dischma Valley and the opposite Jakobshorn.Grison granite, wood, and concrete give the buildings their calm presence on the slope. To the south, a protruding veranda accompanies the facade. As a protected layer between inside and outside, it expands the living spaces and opens the house to the landscape.Along the south facadeAll living rooms in the 2008 completed apartment follow a simple, clear spatial order: each room has an immediate connection to the landscape. The south orientation characterizes the light in the daily and annual cycle. In winter, the low-lying sun shines far into the apartment. In summer, living shifts to the veranda. With around 40 m², it extends over the entire south side of the apartment. It is an outdoor space and at the same time part of the house: protected and naturally shaded, with a wide view over the valley.Material and centerThe materiality of the exterior architecture continues inside. Floors and custom-made built-in furniture made of Siberian larch give the rooms warmth; Grison natural stone from Andeer reappears at selected points. White plaster and exposed concrete complement the deliberately reduced material palette. Large-format glazing in wood opens the rooms to the landscape. In the living room, the fireplace forms a quiet center.There are few materials, carefully used and recurring throughout the house. They give the apartment its self-evident calm and connect the interior and architecture into a whole.Calm and viewThe two bedrooms also open up to the south and to the landscape. The rooms themselves focus on the essentials: sleeping, retreat, and calm. In the master bedroom, a continuous wardrobe takes up the entire room length. Storage space and built-in furniture merge into a calm surface; the adjacent bathroom can be separated by a sliding door.View. 365 days a year.From every living room, the view extends over the Davos Valley and into the surrounding mountains. The landscape changes the rooms with the light, the weather, and the seasons. In winter, the valley lies deeply snowed under the apartment, in summer, the view opens up over the green slopes. In the morning, the first light falls into the rooms, in the evening, the lights of Davos appear in the valley.The landscape begins in front of the house doorImmediately at the house, the high promenade passes by and continues into the forests and onto the high paths above the valley. In suitable snow conditions, experienced skiers can reach the house door from Parsenn. The elevated location creates distance from the valley floor and remains connected to Davos Village. The train station, shopping opportunities, and the Parsenn railway are within short distance.Architecture and equipmentFull-height wood windows, exterior sun shades, and custom-made built-in furniture, as well as a comfort ventilation system, belong to the careful equipment, just like the fireplace in the living room. The Grison granite from Andeer returns in the kitchen and bathroom and connects the rooms with the materiality of the house. The custom-made carpentry kitchen has V-ZUG appliances and a Vola faucet; in the bathrooms, Antonio Lupi washbasins and Dornbracht fittings are used.The building meets the Minergie standard and is heated very cost-effectively via a geothermal heat pump. The apartment includes two basement rooms and two parking spaces in the underground garage. One of the two parking spaces is equipped with a charging station for electric vehicles. Communal rooms (ski, bike, and drying room) complement the ancillary rooms. The use of the apartment is possible as a primary and secondary residence.The "living area" refers to the floor area.
