Whitepod

Alpine & Ski Escapes

Sustainability Initiatives

Out of this World

Locations & Landmarks

Genève Aéroport
Château de Saint-Maurice
Musée et Chiens du Saint-Bernard
Swiss Museum of Games
Art en Chantier
Atelier La Grotte

Wifi
Bar/s
Sauna
Restaurant
Reception
Ski Lift Access to Ski Slopes

Europe, Switzerland, Les Cerniers
Les Cerniers 1871, Les Giettes

How They Dazzle Us

Switzerland is a beautiful country and spending time in the Alps is a treat, so this Landing was already starting off on the front foot. But it is the architecture and the thought which went into it that truly dazzled us. As the name implies this is not an ordinary Landing, your room is a pod that is designed to blend seamlessly into the landscape and to exist with minimum environmental impact. It is as unique as it is stunning. There are so many missions on offer at this Landing: Raclette on the Way, Mountain Biking, Horse Riding, Hiking Cooking Trail, Paragliding, Skiing and Dog Sledding to name a few.

Why We Love Them

The team behind this incredible Landing don’t just preach the sustainable gospel, they live it. The Landing consists of 15 pods. The geometrical shape of the pod is called geodesic: it’s a spherical structure consisting of a network of triangles. The triangles create a self-supporting framework which provides structural strength while using least possible amount of material. Inside they are naturally lit, effectively heated and optimized to provide the best possible views. Even better, the pods are designed in such a way that they can change colour to blend in with the mountainside – so in winter they are snow white, while in summer they blend in with the surrounding vegetation.

Their Sustainable Superpower

So much thought and effort has gone onto making this Landing the perfect sustainable resort, from the use of biodegradable products, to the hiring of local people who can walk to work, through to the use of local water and food. But the ultimate winner is the design of the pods themselves which have been created to be as energy efficient as possible. There are two reasons why the domes are energy efficient. Firstly, the ambient airflow inside the dome is continuous, with no stagnant corners, requiring less energy to circulate air and maintain even temperatures. The energy required to heat and cool a dome is approximately 30% less than a conventional building. The second is the high volume-to-surface-area ratio, requiring less building materials to enclose more space. The lower the ratio of a building’s outside perimeter to its enclosed living area, the less energy is required for building, heating and cooling.