Arolle (n.) — Pinus cembra
A tree that takes its time.
In French-speaking Switzerland, the Swiss stone pine is called arolle.
It grows at altitude, often above 1,500 metres, where cold and wind discourage other trees. It grows very slowly and can live for several centuries.
Its wood is pale, soft and easy to work. It keeps a gentle scent for a long time. In the valleys of Valais, it has always been used for bedrooms, chests and cradles.
The studio bears this name because it says everything about how we work: slowly, at altitude, with what the place provides.
Lise Ansermoz
Born in Sion, trained in Lausanne and then Porto, Lise Ansermoz designed for other practices for twelve years before opening Arolle in 2016.
She works alone, with a network of craftspeople she knows by their first names. She leads only one building site at a time, and goes up to it every week.
One building site at a time. This one is yours.
Awards and publications
- 2026Romandy Prize for High-Altitude ArchitectureLes Bains de Sorebois
- 2025Seuils review, no. 18: “Building slowly”Chalet de la Combe
- 2025Built heritage award, fictional cantonClos de Rivaz
- 2024Hotel Notebooks, winter editionHôtel des Faverges
Fictional awards and publications.