Chalet

It is made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house.

[1] The term chalet comes from the Arpitan-speaking part of Switzerland and the French Savoy region, and originally referred to the hut of a herder.

Many chalets in the European Alps were originally used as seasonal farms for dairy cattle, which would be brought up from the lowland pastures during the summer months.

In the United States, Alpine ski chalets are gaining popularity in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region during winter months.

[4] In the Levant, Egypt, and Kuwait and in the Italian region of Marche, chalets refer to beach houses, rather than mountainside homes, and built in any style of architecture.