LeapFactory (Living Ecological Alpine Pod), a startup founded in Turin in 2012 by two italian architects, Stefano Testa and Luca Gentilcore, has developed over the years projects suited to the extreme high-altitude environments of the Alps. The firm has just announced its very last project, the LeapHome house.

LeapHome is an ecological project adapted to the natural environment, in all kinds of climates, using the experiences that LeapFactory accumulated on high altitude projects, such as the Gervasutti Bivouac at an altitude of 2835 meters in the Mont Blanc massif, and the ski school of Corurmayeur. This extreme environment forced the architects to develop rapid building methods with light materials and innovative technical solutions allowing for a better energetic performance : new insulating, air conditioning, solar energy production and electricity technologies which allow the house to be in energetic autonomy in off-grid environments. Moreoever, prefabricating the building elements allows for the reduction of the time and complexity of the construction process, which gives a chance for the future inhabitants themselves to build their house in one month. The first version of LeapHome, entitled FRAME, was assembled in Lissone, in the north of Milan. This house of 130 square meters consists of two storeys, with a living room, a dining room with a kitchen, a study, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and a outdoor terrace. The load-bearing structure of the building is a laminated timber frame, with a beam and column system which is visible from the inside.

From LeapFactory‘s press release.