Chalet Barma

An Award-Winning, Contemporary Alpine Chalet near Lac Annecy and La Clusaz

With an abundance of blonde wood accented by local stone, layers of angular windows and sleek, simple alpine furnishings, this award-winning chalet by Studio Razavi follows the multilevel design of local farms, creating a structure that moves from practical and darker storage spaces to quiet mid-level bedrooms to bright, high-ceilinged living and common areas offering majestic mountain vistas. A cinema room doubles as a small living room, the terrace offers cinematic views of its own, and the sauna is great after a day wandering the mountain trails, Alpine villages and nearby Lake Annecy.

The home was a finalist of the ArchiDesignclub Awards 2018, an Archilovers Best Projects of 2017, the German Design Council’s Iconic Award winner in 2018 and 2019, and shortlisted for Archinovo in 2019. Its owners are prominent figures in the French and Belgian art world and owners of the influential gallery K&Y.

Around

Located in a preserved Alpine valley, this mountain chalet makes a great year-round base for exploring the great outdoors. Designed with nature as its pinnacle, the cottage offers easy access to the slopes at La Clusaz la Croix-Fry just about a half mile away. There are 125 kilometers of skiable trails of all levels, including a terrain park. La Clusaz is known for its wealth of off-piste skiing and has become a Freeride center where champions and freestyle pioneers gather to train. Cross-country skiers can tour one of the Haute Savoie’s largest domains, around lakes and some 24 marked loops. Summertime brings hikers and mountain bikers to the area as well as road bikers. Climbers and canyoneers also come to the summits of the Aravis, with Mont Blanc less than an hour’s drive away. About 30 minutes from the chalet, turquoise Lac Annecy’s shores are lined with beaches (Talloire, Menthon-Saint-Bernard), and the lake is a favorite for water sports enthusiasts who can enjoy speed boat driving, waterskiing, wake boarding, sailing, wind surfing, and even diving.

Food lovers and seekers of local culinary delights will find dozens of options within a half hour of the chalet—everything from the swanky Michelin-starred tables (Auberge du Père Bise, Yann Conte and Le Clos des Sens and Marc Veyrat’s three-starred gastronomical temple). Lower key, mountain convivial addresses abound, too, offering classic Alpine fare, hearty mountain foods, and casual country style outposts to enjoy with a crowd. Area farms offer fresh cheeses and charcuterie for sale, cafes are set in the villages nearby, and groceries are available with a quick drive to the village.

Location

Nearest airports: Geneva, Switzerland (30 miles), Grenoble, France (65 miles), Lyon, France (70 miles), Turin, Italy (80 miles)

Best time to visit

Year-round, depending on activity