Studio Stipfold crafts Compact High-Altitude Cottage in Georgia
Studio Stipfold designs AltiHut Cottage as part of Georgia’s first sustainable high-altitude hospitality ecosystem, combining a compact layout, fiber-concrete architecture, and panoramic glazing to minimize impact while maximizing experience. At 3,014 meters above sea level, AltiHut stands as more than a mountain refuge. It is a statement of responsibility, vision, and care for the planet. The project challenges the idea of adventure tourism by uniting comfort, awareness, and respect for nature. Every element, delivered by helicopter and powered by the sun, reflects a belief that hospitality can exist in balance with the environment. AltiHut redefines shelter as a place where joy and responsibility meet.
Continuing this philosophy, the new AltiHut Cottages introduce a more personal way to experience the mountain. Designed for families and small groups, each unit provides a quiet retreat that expands the main hut’s ecosystem while remaining fully integrated with the landscape. The layout is simple and compact, with a small room for children, a central living area, and an open mezzanine bedroom that faces the horizon.
AltiHut is positioned at 3,014 meters above sea level in the Georgian mountains | all images courtesy of Stipfold
Fiber-Concrete Shell and Minimal Interiors Shape AltiHut Cottage
The architectural idea follows Studio Stipfold’s language of purity and restraint. A continuous shell of fiber concrete forms the exterior, shaped to feel as if it has always been there. Inside, natural wood defines the atmosphere, balancing warmth with simplicity. The large glass opening turns the surrounding landscape into the main element of the interior, so the view itself becomes part of the design.
Each cottage is conceived as a continuation of nature rather than an object placed within it. The fiber concrete exterior will age and merge with the terrain, while the interior remains calm and enduring. The result is a space that fades into its surroundings, offering a rare kind of silence and clarity, where architecture serves only to frame the presence of the mountain itself.
the compact volume rests lightly on the alpine terrain, minimizing impact on the landscape
a panoramic glass opening frames the surrounding mountains as part of the interior
the curved wooden interior shell organizes living and resting areas into a single spatial volume
interior spaces prioritize calm, silence, and spatial clarity
furniture and soft textures introduce warmth within the restrained interior
model
project info:
name: ALTIHUT
architect: STIPFOLD | @stipfold
design team: Beka Pkhakadze, George Bendelava, Nini Komurjishvili, Luka Chiteishvili, Nikusha Kharabadze
location: Stepantsminda, Georgia
area: 50 sqm
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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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