London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 01, 2025

This Dizzying Prefab Is Perched on the Edge of the Italian Alps

This Dizzying Prefab Is Perched on the Edge of the Italian Alps

Bivacco Luca Pasqualetti is a cliffside prefab shelter designed to inspire remote alpine explorations and honor a fallen mountaineer.

Italian architects Roberto Dini and Stefano Girodo designed this tiny bivouac structure to encourage exploration of a remote location in the Italian Alps. Perched on the side of a mountain at an altitude of 10,794 feet, the structure was commissioned by the family of Luca Pasqualetti, a mountaineer who tragically passed away in May 2014 in the Apuan Alps.

Dini and Girodo, researchers at the Istituto di Architettura Montana of the Politecnico di Torino, collaborated with Italian prefab company LEAPfactory to assemble the unit in an offsite workshop in July and August 2017. The team then transported the completed structure to a temporary location while they prepared the high-altitude site for the installation. Ultimately, the prefab pieces were lifted into place via helicopter and installed in a single day on September 10th, 2018.



The high-altitude, remote site called for simple and efficient construction choices and careful logistical planning.

The harsh alpine climate presented a significant design challenge for the architects, as the isolated structure would need to withstand extreme weather conditions including temperatures below -4°F, winds up to 124 miles per hour, and heavy precipitation and snowfall.



The structure is made from wood and steel composite panels, and it's designed to split into four sections for transport and handling to reduce the number of helicopter flights needed for the final assembly.



The structure can be transported by flatbed truck.



The pieces awaiting transport to their final destination.



One section of the alpine shelter being airlifted.



The site prep.



Every component is sized for easy transport and handling, and all the components were dry mounted on-site without the use of concrete.

The alpine shelter is designed as a simple hut with two pitches, and its sharp edges fit into the jagged, rocky landscape of the Morion ridge. The building's metal cladding matches the range's gray tones, and the interiors are designed to provide a cozy and protected shell for up to eight guests.



High-quality materials guarantee the shelter's durability, and every piece is recyclable and ecologically certified.



A small external niche at the entrance helps protect the door from wind and snow and provides a small storage space for gear.

The interior is divided into sleeping and living spaces. A huge panoramic window on the eastern facade provides ample sunlight to keep the interiors warm-plus one-of-a-kind views of the surrounding landscape, including Becca di Luseney, Monte Rosa, and the Matterhorn.



The bivouac is designed for minimal environmental impact. It's set on non-permanent foundations and anchored to the rock in a non-invasive way, and it can be removed without leaving a trace.



The shelter can accommodate eight people.



The living area holds a table with seating for eight. There is also a sideboard, a surface for food preparation, and ample storage compartments for backpacks and climbing equipment. Two wooden sleeping platforms with mattresses can sleep up to eight people, and small solar panels provide minimal lighting.



The spectacular view.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
×