Apartment building Hans-Jürg Buff

The apartment building Hans-Jürg Buff forms the southwest end of the residential development Chalavus in St. Moritz Bad. Together with the other surrounding buildings, it is grouped around a protected leafy courtyard, comprising a high quality overall urban development. The new five-storey building continues a block, loosely integrated with the existing structure on the south side of the courtyard. The apartment complex benefits from its detached, free-standing setting.

The accommodation units are laid out in two-storey units in all four directions, providing stunning views of the picturesque mountain landscape. The rooms fan out following the sun's course from the east side to the south-west. In this way the natural light floods the living areas and at any time of day there are always variable and interesting light patterns. The architectural use of forms employed on the new building refer to local construction culture but these traditional and regional elements are conducted into their modern setting.

The imposing figure recalls the typology of residential tower in Graubünden, occurring since mediaeval times. The whole building is clad entirely in Gauinger travertine and underlined through the use of a irregular bonding in the stone finish it gives a significant association to a overall monolithic structure. This idea is further highlighted in the polygonal shape of the cubage. Wood-inlaid loggias modulate and add a visual structure to the monolithic edifice in keeping with the building style referenced. The wooden window shutters reflect the character of the region as well as serving contemporary demands.

The insulating layer between the eight centimetre thick stone and concrete walls conforms to Canton energy policies, being of a considerably higher heat transfer coefficient than that required. Geothermal probes provide ground-source energy for hot water and heating.

BOKA AG, Hans Jürg Buff, St. Moritz

Pablo Horváth, Architect SIA/SWB