In the deep Onsernone Valley in Ticino, an ensemble of traditional stone constructions that were in a poor state of preservation, especially the main volume, have been refurbished. Because of damages in all the wooden structural elements, the consolidation of the exterior masonry walls was followed by a thorough emptying of the interiors.

Based on a balance between authenticity and the picturesque, and grounded on the know-how of local stonemasons, the project transformed the preexisting pieces into two houses: one for summer, and the other for winter. The former takes up the main building and features a spacious, double-height hall where the walls have been preserved as they originally were, exposing the marks of the past. A roof of corrugated sheets resting on a light metal structure protects this summer hall against the elements, and is lorded over by a chimney that floats over it, held up by steel profiles inserted into the walls. The annex for its part was in a better state, and was fitted out and equipped to be inhabited during the harsh Swiss winters. The climatized and energy-controlled building contains the principal domestic spaces: kitchen, living room, dining room, and bedrooms...[+][+]