As part of a three-chalet development, described in Project 21, this chalet was to be my clients’ summer home and they wanted a luxurious chalet for their large family. The other two chalets in this development are Projects 20 and 22. The same clients also commissioned me to design and submit planning for the renovation of an ancient farmhouse (Project 19). The design consisted of multiple split levels and separate wings. There were seven ensuite bedrooms, large living areas, a cinema room, a games room, a large wine cellar, and a huge entrance area with glass elevator to access the three levels. There was also an internal-external swimming pool, with an air-conditioned gym on the mezzanine floor above the pool which had a glass wall to enable views of the pool area below. There was a second external swimming pool and a triple garage. The chalet was designed to look like a group of buildings, following a similar form to the original alpine barns in the area which would have been clustered together. The design used a traditional timber frame structure with modern glazing elements and had substantial landscaping to set the building into the land. The glazing was specified with a reflection reducing coating to be less obtrusive in the environment as well as being a ‘Smart Glass’ product which can be manually, or automatically, tuned to precisely control the amount of light, glare and heat passing through a window. Although initially a bit reluctant to have the large amount of glazing, the mairie (local council) appreciated the design aesthetics and I obtained permission for the first chalet and then for the other two chalets on the plot also. This was a breakthrough moment in Samoëns - from then onwards the mairie openly encouraged large expanses of glass and more contemporary aesthetics.