This dissertation explores vast spaces that are sometimes hostile, more specifically the mountains that seem to me to be the wildest and most dangerous natural environment. I wonder if it is possible to build a refuge there. You can stay in these shelters but how? I will start by looking at the range of refuges that have existed since the Middle Ages. Then I will examine a defensive fort built in the heart of the Alps. At the same time, I will try to understand the architectural codes in these environments, across the different types of mountain habitats. I will then seek to define the current difficulties in building shelters and the new forms of refuge.
