Live the experience The chalet, an ingenious dwelling

Housing is a key indicator of lifestyles, geographical conditions, and also the activities and social history of a population specific to each location. The chalets of Le Grand-Bornand are therefore unique and adhere to precise construction standards.

“Form follows function”. The aim was not to display one’s social status on the façade—hence the strong sense of village unity—but to be functional (only the size of the house could indicate wealth). The chalet had to meet climatic, geographical and agro-pastoral requirements, which is why people, livestock and crops are all found under the same roof.

Nor wasthe location chosen at random: water sources, aspect, abundance of grass, risks of avalanches, landslides and surface runoff were all criteria taken into account.

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

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

Different levels are dug into the ground to create the different levels of the house.

Stone, which is relatively resistant to fire and damp, is used to build the retaining walls (approximately 70 cm thick), the floors and the walls housing the hearth (fire).

The walls, which are 13 to 28 cm thick (depending on the age and altitude of the building), are constructed by stacking planks, known as ‘maïres’, joined at each corner by notches, the ‘cozges’. Washed and dried moss ensures a watertight seal between the planks and vertical wooden pieces, the “liures” (ties), whilst wooden pegs hold the walls together.

The roof structure must be sturdy to withstand the weight of the snow, and a central pillar, the “pointe d’âne”, which is up to 70 cm thick, is its centrepiece. This pillar runs the length of the house, and two rafters, the “donkey’s arms”, extend from the top of this pillar and rest on the side walls.

The front of the house, or “the front of the house”

The front of the house is the shared entrance for people and animals (access to the stables).
A trough, known as the “basché”, is often placed against the stone wall at the top of the house.
Between the entrance to the house and the entrance to the cowshed, there is “la gaine à la jument”, a wooden chute that carries fodder directly from the barn to the horse’s stable.

The Cozna

Once through the corridor, here is the kitchen which serves the whole house. Originally, it was the only heated room; before the arrival of the stove, a fire was lit directly on the floor on a stone slab, known as the “assi”. A galley hook was used to heat meals in cauldrons and other pots.

Leaning against the only solid wall in the dwelling—a thin one known as the “ponadmue”—the hearth was used to heat the adjoining room, the “peille”.

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

Above the hearth rises the wooden chimney, topped with a lid, the “charfio”, which allows the draught to be adjusted and protects against snow and rain. The chimney is also used for smoking meat.

Although heated, the kitchen remains a cold room used only for meals.

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