A chalet is a type of housing.
Chalet is a term of French origin that is accepted by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) . According to the dictionary of this entity, it refers to a building with at least one floor equipped with a garden and reserved for single-family accommodation . The word chalet is also accepted by the RAE .
The characteristics that a building must have to be considered a chalet, therefore, are the spaciousness of the house with an adjacent garden or patio. The chalet does not, however, include an interior patio between the rooms.
Origin of the chalet
According to legend, the first chalets originated in Switzerland and other Alpine countries, although they were soon established in other regions as well. They were wooden buildings with sloping roofs where shepherds lived.
Typically, the herdsmen and their families lived on the middle level, with the livestock in a stable on the lower floor and a barn or hayloft on the upper floor. This arrangement changed with the seasons. In the summer, the livestock was taken to the alpine pastures, where the herdsmen had some kind of hut . At that time, the lower floor of the chalet was free for other uses.
Today, homes inspired by this alpine design are considered chalets, even when they are located in the city and have no use related to livestock or agriculture .
Chalets emerged in Switzerland.
Classification according to type
In different regions, the structures of these buildings were diverse: not only the materials available were taken into account but also the frequency of rain and other climatic elements that could affect the stability of the construction.
There are different types of chalets known today, each derived from a particular region. Some of them are the American, Anglo-Saxon, Norman, Anglo-Norman, Italian and Germanic style chalets , among others. It is worth mentioning that in each country there are also particular names for them according to the region where they are established.
The material with which they are built also varies according to the type of chalet; it can be stone , masonry or wood.
A curious chalet in Buenos Aires
It was a Valencian, whose name was Rafael Díaz , who was responsible for building a very particular building in the heart of Buenos Aires , a luxury that this man was able to afford at the end of the 19th century and which we can all still enjoy with our eyes.
It is a Norman-style chalet perched on top of a nine-story building that could be one of the most identifying symbols of the city.
Díaz came to Buenos Aires in search of a better life and, after working for several years as an employee, founded a furniture company with which he achieved great business success; thus he became the manager of the largest furniture store in all of Latin America , with its headquarters just a few steps from where the Obelisco would later be erected .
As Díaz was passionate about chalets , mainly in the Norman style, he decided to build one on top of his shop; not only was it one of the first chalets built in a city , but it also became famous for being built on top of a tall building.
Today, despite the many changes the city has undergone , the chalet is still there, surviving the inclement weather, covered by numerous advertising posters that prevent it from seeing the city and even the coast of Uruguay (which could be seen on very sunny days).