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A cult figure in Swiss architecture, Gion A. Caminada is best recognised for his timber and stone buildings that uphold the stalwart traditions of Alpine architecture. Using local materials and techniques, he creates sustainable buildings that demonstrate respect for their surroundings, being firmly anchored in the village landscape. This special edition features 26 of his works, ranging from early buildings in his home town of Vrin to current projects. New photos taken especially for this issue, plus an interview with the architect, lend insight into the contemporary advances and solutions to social challenges found within traditional contexts and reflected in his body of work.

Interview: Possibility of the Architecture - Area Activation and Promotion of Diversity
Gion A. Caminada
 
Area Map of Caminada’s Works in Switzerland
 
Vrin
Stiva da morts
Telephone Box
Caminada House
Vrin Village Office
Vrin Multipurpose Hall
Mazlaria
Caviezel House
Sawmill
Caminada Stable
Derungs Stable
Alp Parvalsauns
 
Disentis / Mustér
Farm of the Abbey of Disentis
Disentis Dairy
Girl’s Dormitory of the Abbey of Disentis
 
Valendas
Gasthaus am Brunnen
 
Essay: Architecture beyond the object: What it means not to have only
the finished object in sight during the design process
Tom Schoper
 
Strickbau – Log Building
Walpen House
Segmüller House
Stockar Gasser House
Girsberger House
Ustria Steila
Beckel Kübler House
 
Essay: “As if the house had always stood there …”
Miscellanea on the House in Fürstenaubruck, 2004–2006
Christof Kübler, Inge Beckel
 
Look-out Tower, Reuss River Delta
Administration Building of Swiss Open-Air Museum Ballenberg
Terri Alpine Hut
Tegia da vaut
Look-out Tower, Nature and Animal Park Goldau
 
Essay: Creating Places: The Adula – A Lighthouse for City and Country
Gion A. Caminada
 
Essay Series: Architecture: Biological Form and Artificial Intelligence
Part 2
Nikos A. Salingaros, Kenneth G. Masden II
 
Spotlight: The Whitney Museum of American Art at Gansevoort
Renzo Piano Building Workshop