This semester, Studio Weinand heads to Rocher-de-Naye, a scenic location above Montreux, overlooking Lake Geneva. There, they will be asked to re-design the train station while respecting themes of decarbonization and sustainability. Further challenges to their projects include meteorogical conditions in winter and the limited accessibility of the site, which can only be reached via the MOB train, thus limiting the size of construction elements. The station in Rocher-de-Naye is successful amongst hikers in spring, summer and autumn, and is also known for its alpine garden. Students will be asked to develop a holistic approach in their project, taking into account the exceptional surroundings and potential future uses of the building that they will be designing.
Students will learn to identify site potential and available local resources, understand the timber supply chain from extraction to execution by visiting local timber companies and through lectures, and be asked to take position on an impactful architectural concept, as well as develop a sustainable construction system taking inspiration from vernacular techniques and modern prefabrication strategies. Students will also practice linking local details and global geometry through prototyping, parametric models, and iterative design, establishing criteria to evaluate the performance of the design and refine the proposal, creating effective visuals presenting the project such as virtual models, point clouds, animations, etc., and, finally, clearly communicating the intentions of their project to an audience.