Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

This Spruce Cabin in Switzerland Is Like a Grown-Up Tree House

This Spruce Cabin in Switzerland Is Like a Grown-Up Tree House

On family property, architect Lionel Ballmer builds a compact home almost entirely out of wood.

"I built this house for my wife, my cats, and me," says Swiss architect Lionel Ballmer. "We wanted to live in a small place, surrounded by trees." The roughly 860-square-foot project occupies a piece of land in Haute-Nendaz, Switzerland, shared with the parents of Lionel’s wife. Its design-a maze-like succession of connected spaces that create worlds of their own-is like "a child’s dream of living in a tree house in the backyard coming true," he says.



Small House Nendaz’s minimalist material palette is an homage of sorts to the homogeneity of materials used in the historic mountain buildings of the area, creating a strong contrast with the surrounding vegetation. The choice of wood was an obvious one, says Lionel, thanks to its aesthetic and thermal qualities.



Built in just five months in 2021, the house was constructed using wood from local trees: Larch slats were used for the roof and facade, and cross-laminated timber made of locally sourced spruce make up the home’s skeleton, including the interior walls, floors, and furniture.



Municipal regulations restricted the home’s height, but a central staircase-the project’s backbone-serves to amplify the limited space by linking a single bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom, and dining room. The connectivity creates a feeling a spaciousness that belies the relatively small dimensions.



The structure’s five half-levels, each of which houses two distinct spaces, are oriented toward unique vistas. Rooms reflect the same materials used throughout with custom-made, built-in furniture and lamps-but somehow each feels like a sphere of its own.



In a space between the house and workshop, another secreted-away spot awaits the residents-a garden that’s close to the property’s main home but feels far removed and private thanks to the surrounding woodlands. "We were lucky enough to build our house among the trees," Lionel says. "Usually people wait for the trees to grow for 30 years before they can make this dream come true."


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×