Image of an Alpine barn conversion with the large picture window open to see the inside

Shot of a Savioz Fabrizzi converted barn in the Alps

Black and white image of a traditional Alpine barn before it was modernised and converted

Beautiful converted Alpine mayen barn in a snowy scene

Side view of the large glass picture window of the converted mayen

Savioz Fabrizzi barn in the distance over a snowy hill

View of a converted traditional mayen in the sunshine with a tree in the foreground

Inside the contemporary living space of a converted mayen barn

Images of the dining space of the contemporary converted barn in the Alps

View inside of the Savioz Fabrizzi converted barn in the Alps with sun streaming in the very large windows

Inside the upstairs of a modern converted traditional barn, clad in natural wood with a small window to the greenery outside

Cosy vaulted ceiling bedroom in a traditional barn conversion in the alps

Contemporary Swiss barn conversion in the Alps

Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes

Tradition being preserved with a clever renovation

“Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes is an architecture and design studio based in Switzerland. I was lucky enough to meet Laurent and witness this particular project – both the original building and the completed renovation. It is wonderful to see how Laurent has managed to create something new in a way that exists harmoniously with the older surrounding buildings and the Alpine pastures of Switzerland.” – Danielle Stynes, YWC Founder

What is a traditional Swiss barn?

This ‘mayen’ (a type of alpine pasture chalet building) dates from the middle of the 19th century. It was a traditional agricultural building, made from local stone, used for moving and grazing herds of cattle. The shepherds would use it for a few weeks a year when they went up to the mountain pastures, keeping their cattle in the basement cowshed whilst the ground floor was the living quarters. As was very often the case, this building was built for two families and was therefore divided in two, with two doors, with only the area housing the cows being shared. My grandfather inherited half of the building, and around 1980 he bought the other half and renovated it to make a holiday home for his retirement.

Using the renovation of a traditional barn to bring its occupants closer to nature

For me, the main quality of this building was its location close to nature, so I wanted to be able to take advantage of it by strongly linking the inside and the outside. The living room-kitchen area is defined by four ‘boxes’ that mark the corners of the space, and between these boxes, large windows link the inside with the surrounding landscape. The wood-burning stove is the only source of heat, but it’s quite comfortable because the walls and roof have been very well insulated, and the water is heated by solar panels (when there is enough sunlight).

Building materials that reflect the different eras of the structure

Seen from the outside, the large windows form large dark rectangles, so I chose to paint the façades dark grey to give the building a monolithic appearance. The façades reveal the different building materials that reflect the different eras of the structure – stone in the 19th century, cement brick in the 20th century and concrete in the 21st century. The front walls are essentially the only original element preserved as the roof and wooden floor were in poor condition and had to be replaced. It’s certainly different to the appearance of a traditional mayen and it was complicated to get the local authorities to accept the design, but we got there.

Optimising the small size of the building

In agricultural areas such as this it is not permitted to extend a building, so minimalism in size was imposed! But in the context of a second home, the small size can be interesting. It forces a slightly different way of living, simpler and closer to nature. Between our main home in the town centre and this mayen, the contrast is great and we really enjoy coming here to relax. It’s a bit too quiet for our teenage children now, but they’ll learn to appreciate it later…

Savioz Fabrizzi
Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes
Switzerland
+41 27 322 54 91
info@sf-ar.ch
www.sf-ar.ch