Glass Mountaineer Shelter Offers Refuge | World News
- CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA) has unveiled a new bivouac-a small shelter for mountaineers-designed to seamlessly integrate with the Alpine environment.The project, commissioned by Salone del Mobile.Milano, began with...
- Carlo Ratti, co-founder of CRA, explained the design ideology: "sadly, today bivouacs often look like airships that have landed on our stunning alpine landscapes.
- The final design prioritizes both aesthetics and practicality.
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Alpine Bivouac: CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati Designs a Rock-Inspired Refuge
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Blending Architecture with the Alpine Landscape
CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA) has unveiled a new bivouac-a small shelter for mountaineers-designed to seamlessly integrate with the Alpine environment.The project, commissioned by Salone del Mobile.Milano, began with a detailed 3D scan of local rock formations to inform its design.
Carlo Ratti, co-founder of CRA, explained the design ideology: “sadly, today bivouacs often look like airships that have landed on our stunning alpine landscapes. Here we took the opposite approach: a structure that blends as much as possible with the surroundings.” This approach aims to minimize visual impact while providing a functional and lasting shelter for climbers and hikers.
Sustainable Design and functionality
The final design prioritizes both aesthetics and practicality. According to CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, the bivouac incorporates features for energy generation, storage, and water collection through atmospheric condensation. This focus on self-sufficiency reduces the environmental footprint of the structure and provides essential resources for those using it.
The structure’s design is inspired by the concept of architecture as a “crystal,” as articulated by 20th-century Italian architect Gio Ponti. CRA utilized digital fabrication techniques to create a bivouac that appears to emerge organically from the surrounding rock formations.
A Collaboration with Salone del mobile.Milano
maria Porro, president of Salone del Mobile.Milano, emphasized the project’s alignment with principles of circular and responsible design. She stated, “It is a gesture that turns research into a form of harmony with the natural world and that, in its journey from our Milan to the Alps, expresses the principles we share: a circular, responsible design.”
Salone del Mobile.Milano, a leading international furniture fair, commissioned the project as part of its ongoing exploration of innovative design solutions. The collaboration highlights the potential for architectural design to address environmental challenges and enhance the human experience in natural settings.