design et al are delighted to announce that Turner Pocock has been shortlisted for Ski Chalet Award in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2017.
This project involved the complete overhaul of a chalet dating from 1905, located in the heart of the French mountain resort of Morzine. Turner Pocock were instructed by a family to make a 1905 town house chalet in the centre of the French village of Morzine a practical holiday home for them to enjoy. The chalet was in desperate need of restoration after 70 years of use from other occupants. Turner Pocock were commissioned to re-plan the internal layout of the building including joining an existing outbuilding to create a six-bedroom chalet. The original chalet had been divided into two separate apartments with an outside staircase and the floors were not linked internally. The house is an entirely wooden structure which had to be rebuilt with local tradesman who use age old techniques to deliver their craft in these mountain resorts. The workmen came from family businesses where their techniques had been passed from generation to generation which is particularly applicable on wood frame houses in these environments. 
The chalet underwent a complete overhaul removing all internal walls, replacing the roof, and only keeping the external facade. The client wanted the space to be as light and airy as possible and so Turner Pocock removed the maze of dark rooms and opened up the floor plan to create lateral space, flooding each floor with light. For the design, Turner Pocock took inspiration from Scandinavian designers in the architectural detail while retaining as much period charm as possible. By cladding the walls with white timber, they created a brighter home that felt bigger than it would have done with the usual chalet wood cladding. The existing beams throughout the building were sandblasted back to their original finish adding texture and character to the space. The designers chose to keep a predominantly neutral and natural palette through the finishes and soft furnishings, layering textures for interest and adding signature pops of Turner Pocock colour.
Turner Pocock’s favourite aspect of the project was the white wood cladding which was an unusual treatment for the local craftsman and was a fresh approach to chalet design with an overall lighter feeling result. Having been sceptical about the specification, all the craftsman involved in the project agreed that the results were very effective! The repetitive use of natural products and neutral colours in the schemes makes the chalet feel like the perfect fit for its mountain environment. The skins and thick rugs add warmth and luxury much needed in the cold climate.