Mountaineering refuge perched on a cliffside

This LEAPFactory Refuge Gervasutti is an alpine refuge commissioned by CAI Torino, the Italian Alpine Club. It perches, cantilevered, on a mountainside, offering accommodations and safety to mountain-climbers. It's got a clever prefab design, and is intended to reduce the amount of waste left on mountainsides by climbers.

Each module is entirely prefabricated, from the outer protective shell to the interior fittings. All the modules were transported by helicopter thanks to their light weight and assembled on site in just a few hours.
The modules’ particular design means that they can be planned and constructed based on the specific requirements and can be customised depending on the location where they are to be positioned, in order to make them in keeping with the surrounding environment.

New Refuge Gervasutti by LEAPfactory (via Cribcandy)

(Image: Gughi Fassino)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: architecture • Environment • Gadgets • happy mutants

More at Boing Boing

Ants and Stars: Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic visit the Sardinia Radio Telescope in Italy

The Snowden Principle

grimc

The first thing that popped into my head is that Uruguayan rugby team…
Mark Ashcroft

Only the Italians cound make a refuge that stylish :). We go for the more rustic look here in NZ.
polleywagz

That’s the biggest trashcan I’ve ever seen
planettom

I bet it’s hard to get a good night’s sleep in the end sticking out over the abyss.
http://twitter.com/anomieo Naomi Okuyama

it looks like a surveillance camera.
penguinchris

It’s really cool, but I bet these will cause a lot of people to take the the non-besheltered routes (or simply entirely different mountains). Mountaineers tend not to be the type of people who want to take the easy route. Will be good for more casual climbers, I guess.
hagbard

Having worked in facilities management, the second thing that popped into my mind were images of how the custodial staff gets there to straighten up.
http://imcravingpresidency.tumblr.com/ SedanChair

OK, I’ve seen a million “prefab” designs for wonderful little houses now. Isn’t part of the “prefab” concept that you, you know, make more of them and sell them cheaply?

How many more designs will it take before some of them actually get mass produced?

(Not really all that relevant to this very cool refuge, but man I just had to get that off my chest.)
- Caterpillar
  
  “Prefab” can mean just that the building is constructed or partially constructed offsite, with only the final assembly done at the final site. So something like this qualifies even if there’s only ever one. I do agree with the sentiment in general, though–so many cool designs that never go anywhere!
yragentman

A put on, methinks -

“for safety”? cantilevered over a cliff? with doors that appear to open over said cliff?

This is definitely NOT where you would locate a shelter for safety or efficiency. Assembled on site? with anchor bolts to offset the cantilever moment?. What about wind and snow loads?

Ludicrous, but stylish - like a Thunderbirds lair!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfIAKj3Gl1E
Philip Lawes

Watch that first step though.
http://www.oeilgauche.com/ Ludovic Pessot

This is amazing! I soo want to spend a night in there.
relawson

I can see the design meeting now…

Boss) Ok, this is for SAFETY of climbers. I need ideas.

Designer 1)Why don’t we make it stick half way off of a cliff!

Designer 2) I know! we’ll also make it ROUND!!!

Boss) These are both great ideas, lets do it!

Safety officer) Um…
- Guest
  
  That IS the safety office
Camp Freddie

Hang on a minute, lads. I’ve got a great idea…
http://artdonovan.typepad.com Art

That is, hands down, the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.
alan rapp

Written up in full at Domus here with photos by Francesco Mattuzzi.
http://www.domusweb.it/en/architecture/learning-from-the-void/
http://www.kmoser.com kmoser

That red geometric design painted on one side looks Native American inspired but I think they’re just catering to the hipster mountain climber crowd.
Iqaluit

Funny – all these comments from people who’ve never been in the mountains. This is just a modern version of the traditional mountain refuge found all over the Alps. Many of the century-old structures are also in precarious settings with steep drops near their entrances. In Europe, and particularly in the high mountains, there’s no need for a handrail or warning signs or fences.
Rounded shape – strong and sheds snow
Cantilevered – additional interior space on limited footprint (plus it looks cool, these are Italians after all)
Entrance on the limited flat ground – could have been a little further to the right, but hard to say how that matches with interior layout
Opening windows on overhanging end – provide ventilation (have you ever spent a night in an Alpine hut with 25 sweaty people drying their wet clothes?)

Strange how everyone is so quick to assume photoshopped or stupid idea based on minimal /zero knowledge of the circumstance or realm. But that’s the downside of the internet to be balanced by the positive, I guess.
James Penrose

Maybe it is the lighting, but that door sure seems close to the edge. bad gust of wind at the right moment and it would *really* spoil your day.

I do wonder about the mounting, how securely is that thing bolted to the rocks? That overhand just makes me twitchy. Looks like almost 50% overhangs and that screams out to me you need to watch your loads inside.