The chalet, an ingenious dwelling

The authenticity of the mountain village of Le Grand-Bornand is largely due to the preservation of a traditional dwelling, represented by one of the symbols of the Alps, commonly referred to as the “chalet” by most, but the locals speak of the “house”! Indeed, the term “chalet” has been commonly used since Henry Jacques Le Même, French architect and designer of the skier’s houses in Megève based on the “Swiss chalet” model (since the early 1930s), for new buildings inspired by the old by adopting its building codes.

The value of this built heritage has been forged over time by the desire of residents and public authorities to perpetuate this know-how while evolving it to meet the aspirations of our age combining tradition and modernity.

©049aravis Tilbyvattard Legrandbornand Gastronomy H23

In all seasons,

Chalets are the stuff of dreams: holidays in the mountains, sharing time with friends and family! Read on to find out all you need to know about the rules of construction and layout, as well as the know-how of our ancestors who invented this ingenious dwelling. Enjoy the journey!

Its construction

Housing is an essential revealer of lifestyles, geographical conditions, but also the activities and social history of a population specific to each place. The chalet at Grand-Bornand is therefore unique and responds to precise manufacturing rules.

“Use dictates form”. The aim was not to display one’s social standing on the façade, hence the strong village unity, but to be functional (only the size of the house could give an indication of wealth). The chalet had to meet climatic, geographical and agro-pastoral requirements, which is why people, livestock and crops were all housed under the same roof.

Location was no accident either: water source, exposure, abundance of grass, risk of avalanches, landslides and run-off were all criteria taken into account.

The slope is also a major factor in its layout and the organisation of the house’s entrances.

Fir wood (spruce) and stone (for the bedrock), natural resources available nearby, are the only materials used in its construction.

Different levels are dug into the ground to organise the levels of the house.

Stone, which is not very sensitive to fire and damp, is used to build the retaining walls (around 70 cm thick), the floors and the walls receiving the hearth (fire).

The walls, 13 to 28 cm thick (depending on age and altitude), are built with a stack of planks, called “maïres”, joined at each corner by notches, the “cozges”. Washed and dried moss ensures that the planks are watertight, and vertical pieces of wood called “liures” (ties) and wooden dowels hold the walls together.

The framework must be solid to withstand the weight of the snow, and a central pillar, “la pointe d’âne”, which is up to 70 cm thick, is the centrepiece. This pillar runs through the entire house and two crossbeams, the “donkey arms”, extend from the top of this pillar and rest on the side walls.

Tavaillons ? Ancelles ?

The roof covering is made of wooden tiles, either tavaillons or ancelles.

The tavaillon: it is 40 cm long and is nailed to the roof. It has a lifespan of up to 40 years.
The ancelle: this is 80 cm long and is simply laid on the roof, overlapping 4 layers.

Only the first and last courses are nailed. They have a lifespan of around 30 years, but after 15 years they are removed and turned over, known as “brasse le toit”.
Poles wedged in place with stones hold the whole thing together and act as snow guards.

In order to cover the roof, family and friends were called in to help with the “corvée” and so complete the roofing in a single day.

Two wooden gutters dug into the poles complete the roof.

The layout of the house

The front of the house or “d’vant de l’outa”

The front of the house is the shared entrance for people and animals (access to the stables).
A basin, the “basché” is often installed against the stone wall at the top of the house.
Between the entrance to the dwelling and the entrance to the cow stable is the “gaine à la jument”, a wooden shaft that leads the fodder directly from the barn to the horse’s stable.

La Cozna

Once you have crossed the corridor, here is the kitchen that serves the entire dwelling. Originally, it was the only heated room with, before the arrival of the stove, a fire made on the floor on a stone slab, “l’assi”. A gallows was used to heat meals in cauldrons and other pots.

Adjacent to the only thin hard wall of the dwelling, the “ponadmue”, the fireplace was used to heat the next room, the peille.

In the thickness of this wall is the “findri”, an ashtray used to keep food warm and store the ashes that would be used in the spring for the big wash, the “grande boille”.

Above the fireplace rises the wooden chimney with a lid at the top, the “charfio” to regulate the draught and protect against snow and rain. The chimney was also used to smoke meat.

Although heated, the kitchen remained a cold room that was only used for meals.

From simple shelves, the “marti”, or piece of furniture that doubled as a cupboard and table, often made by the locals, to the custom-made creation of a piece of furniture by the first carpenters, called the credenza, furniture and utensils have evolved over time to provide greater comfort.

The peille

This is a room where it’s nice to live and where people who need warmth (newborns, children, the elderly,…)
Equipped with beds, a table, a chest, a cradle people worked and ate in during the long cold winters.

It was also used for making and drying reblochon cheese, which was taken down directly to the cellar via a trapdoor.

This room also provides access to the “back bedroom”, which was also used as a storeroom or pantry.

The front bedroom

Above the stable, better fitted out and decorated, it was often used by relatives or for certain occasions: wedding night, prayer vigils for the deceased, etc.

The gallery or “lojhe”

Present in all the houses, this is a sheltered balcony, often located to the south that was used for drying laundry, vegetables or for small jobs.

At the end of the gallery, on the back bedroom side, are the “cacatis” (toilets), located above the “gouille”, the manure pit.

The “bao à les vaches” and the “bao d’amo”

Accessible from the outside and from the kitchen, the “bao à les vaches” (the stable) provided accommodation for 10 to 12 cows. With its fairly low ceiling, this room remained relatively warm. Near the window, an area known as “le coin à codire”, which was always kept clean, was set up with two benches facing each other (one of which is known as the “banc à codire”) for family gatherings at the wake while keeping an eye on the herd.

The “bao d’amo” (the upstairs stable) housed small livestock or served as a storeroom. A cellar, which could be used as a reblochon cellar, is installed at the back.

The barn

Extends over the entire surface area of the house and is accessed on one level due to the slope of the land.

It is divided into three parts:

the “oëtre” for threshing and storing the harvest
the “soli” (hayloft), a hay storage area
the solarets that surround the barn, sheltered and ventilated, they are used to dry the hay.

To complete the hay storage volume, small barns are also found in the middle of the hay meadows.

The stable and cellars

In the basement is the horse stable as well as several cellars:

the reblochon cellar, with in front of it, some sheep penned to ensure the temperature for proper ripening of the cheese.
another cellar, the “farto” is used to store potatoes.

The attic

A small building close to the house, protected from the wind and damp, airtight but ventilated, it shelters the food reserves as well as the family’s riches (costumes, papers, jewellery, etc.), in order to protect them from the elements.), protected from fire, damp and rodents.

As you wander around, you can discover and decipher some 400 cottages, most of which are two hundred years old, with the oldest dating back to 1664.

©6aravis Tvattard Farm E20|© TILBY VATTARD

©43aravis Tvattard Reblochon H20|© TILBY VATTARD

To learn more,

Don’t miss a visit to the Maison du Patrimoine, a traditional Grand-Bornand house dating from 1830, restored and furnished, during your next stay. It provides an insight into everyday life in the past and the wooden architecture specific to the Bornes-Aravis region. The museum has been protected as a Historic Monument since 2007.