Studio Weinand visits Rossinière

Last week the new students of Studio Weinand at EPFL visited several sites including Blum sawmill and the village of Rossinière where they saw the famous Grand Chalet de Rossinière, built in 1752, which notably served as the residence of the artist Balthus from 1977 to 2001. There, they were greeted by Mr Jean-Pierre Neff, the mayor of Rossinière, who presented the history of Swiss timber production in the Pays d'En-Haut, as well as the numerous challenges it currently faces, including global warming. They also discovered the traditional making of shingles with a presentation by Mr François Krummenacher and visted the recently renovated church of Rossinière, as well as Despond SA, one of the leading sawmills in the Swiss timber industry.

The excursion is linked to an ongoing collaboration between IBOIS research laboratory and the Pays d'En-Haut. Through it, students are invited to consider wood architecture from a holistic viewpoint, taking into account traditional local forestry techniques, the processing of raw timber, the possibilities or limitations of local regulations which often restrict building possibilities, and finally, the impact of the timber industry on local economies.

Students will develop an architectural project during the semester, which will be presented in June.