London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

This Prefab Ski School in the Alps Took 10 Days to Assemble

This Prefab Ski School in the Alps Took 10 Days to Assemble

Made of recyclable and other eco-friendly materials, LEAPfactory’s modular ski school has an incredibly light environmental touch.

Skiing is an activity that requires a healthy respect for nature. The sport could not exist without the slopes. The act of skiing, moreover, is a negotiation between what men and women want and what nature will allow. The same holds true when designing ski facilities: Architects must carefully consider how their creations will coexist with the natural environment.



The Courmayeur Ski & Snowboard School's home is part of a cluster of buildings located in the ski area of Plan Checrouit, at the foot of Mont Blanc. LEAPfactory’s design for the facility, while crisp and contemporary, echoes the design of its neighbors, particularly their asymmetrical gables.

LEAPfactory’s home for the Courmayeur Ski & Snowboard School is a compelling example of how outdoor facilities can embrace rather than conquer nature. Located in the Aosta Valley of northern Italy, the building sits atop light foundations and was erected in 10 days using the LEAPs3 construction system. As a result, it can be removed or relocated without leaving permanent traces. These environmental considerations did not hamstring the building’s design, which offers a modern take on the architecture of neighboring buildings.



Architect Stefano Girodo explains the building has a "completely prefabricated and modular structure." It was built using recyclable and environmentally friendly materials and designed to ensure easy mechanical assembly once on site.



Girodo says the "high insulation performance of the shell" allows the building to function in a setting that experiences significant temperature fluctuations and extreme cold. Occupants of the front room, which functions as a reception area, can take in the views from its full-height windows in complete comfort.



All of the interior furnishings were designed and built by LEAPfactory for this specific project. These pieces, including the reception desk, are made of laminated boards and the same reforested beech wood used in the school’s structure. A door behind the reception desk leads to a living room for the ski and snowboard instructors.



The building’s restrained color and material palettes carry over to the minimalist wood benches in the reception area. Since the facility must withstand heavy usage as well as inclement weather, it was built with "easy maintenance" in mind, according to Girodo.



Girodo describes LEAPfactory’s architecture as being "molded according to the needs and stresses imposed by context." In this setting, strong winds and snow loads are serious concerns. The shell’s composite sandwich panels and aluminum shingles ensure that the school can withstand the elements.



The school building sits above the snow, on light piles instead of a permanent concrete foundation. This makes the building easily removable and, according to Girodo, "avoids risks and complications during on-site construction." The environmental impact of the facility’s 10-day dry-assembly was minimal compared to traditional construction methods.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
×