Design high heritage in transition. Classification and design tools for alpine isolated building systems

The research program deepened the role of architecture in the constitution of the alpine landscape and generated instruments for the development of builfings located in mountain areas. Thanks to their unique relationship with the mountain landscape isolated alpine buildings become lighthouses for the construction of the lower valley. The thesis investigates the development potentialities for isolated alpine building systems through the analysis of the location and connection values related to the environmental context and landscape (geomorphological and anthropic features) as well as to the presence of recognized latent resources. In the system of isolated alpine buildings are included bivoucs and refuges, referring to alpinism activities, and cabins concerning an agricultural use of mountain areas. Bivouacs means temporary camp, and in the studied form consist in a permanently open emergency shelter in remote mountain areas. A refuge is a place where you go for safety and protection, a temporary condition for mountain fruition. As high density accomodations they are built as site specific projects, with high variability in dimension and provided services. Cabins consist in small shelter or houses situated in pastures or wild remote areas. They were an answer to needs of alpine farming, now facing changes in mountain economic development mainly redirecting to tourism activities.