Buying a home means investing in a complete vision – one that must convince now and remain relevant in the future. Ideally, it answers every question before it’s even asked and delivers value for generations to come. The property projects Mary-Ann Schoeller leads with the UPTON Group are among the best currently on the market. Her chalet, The Mountain Estate in Kitzbühel, achieved the highest sale price ever recorded for a private residence in Tyrol. She explains how sightlines, waterfalls and the perfect cappuccino all have a role to play.

Centurion: A guiding principle that inspires you – and possibly others?

Mary-Ann Schoeller: “The future belongs to those who can innovate and recognise sustainability as the opportunity of our generation.” These are the words of James Corner, who transformed the High Line in New York into an elevated botanical park. He showed how disused infrastructure can be transformed into a vibrant, innovative and soulful space.

Is vibrant innovation what UPTON buyers are looking for? What sets your chalets apart from other top-tier properties?

UPTON properties offer not a snapshot of the present, but a glimpse into the future. The way they unite nature, architecture and technical innovation is unique. Art and sustainability also play major roles. The sales of The Artemis and The Mountain Estate prove the concept works.

Click "EXPAND" to see inside The Mountain Estate:

From Kitzbühel to the top – and beyond

The sale price of The Mountain Estate is public knowledge: 35.5 million euros. The highest ever for a private single-family home in the Kitzbühel region.

I invested not only a lot of heart and soul into Mountain Estate, but also years of work. I often travelled there, did everything myself, submitted every application myself, considered every detail and staged everything perfectly. That’s how I approach every construction project. To have been able to hand over the keys to a family who are truly happy there is incredibly satisfying. That was the vision I had when I launched this business in 2006. The results, objectively speaking, are solid.

It also proves you chose the right profession.

I’ve always been fascinated by real estate and architecture. My father worked in the field too. After graduating with a degree in property management, I realised I didn’t just want to develop. I wanted to shape projects, to lead them from start to finish, strategically and holistically. I set out to create spaces with strong roots, substance and purpose. I lead UPTON as a strategic CEO: every acquisition, every vision and every detail, from plot analysis to key handover, bears my signature. I set the architectural guidelines and vision and carry out acquisitions and implementation myself. The aim is to create places where people can recharge their batteries.

That’s something many developers set out to achieve. What do you do differently?

The success of Artemis and The Mountain Estate shows that we’ve set a new benchmark for alpine architecture – in quality, innovation and location. We could also see this in the exceptionally strong response from buyers. The architecture, quality and location have made the project a point of reference, both architecturally and entrepreneurially. UPTON goes one step further than other developers to design projects with distinct aesthetics and identity. The exceptional sale price of The Mountain Estate was a result of that precision, not the goal. The process begins with us taking more time. We work with renowned architects and designers who specialise in blending innovative approaches into traditional architecture. Our aim isn’t to complete more properties, but rather fewer and better ones. We don’t think in years – we think in generations.

Kitzbühel Park Residences

A brand designed to endure for generations

How do you anticipate the future needs of children and grandchildren?

By not paying mere lip service to future-proofing, and by avoiding greenwashing. To me, longevity is synonymous with sustainability, both ecological and economic. Only by embedding lasting value can we create true substance.

Speaking of economic substance – presumably the financial stakes rise alongside the rewards?

Absolutely! I was building outside the country during Covid. Only the tradesmen were working on site. Sales launched just as the war in Ukraine broke out and interest rates spiked. Despite encountering such difficult times, we delivered our most successful project. That speaks for itself. Beyond that, I’m proud to maintain strong personal connections with all my buyers. That’s not something to take for granted.

What do people who already have everything want?

They want answers to questions that haven’t even been asked. My buyers appreciate that they now have a place where they can arrive and feel instantly at home. Of course, they own other houses – but this becomes their home, their favourite place, where they feel most comfortable.

Looking ahead

What’s the greatest challenge in creating an architecturally exceptional residence?

Striking a balance between emotional resonance and economic efficiency. I’m involved in every detail – from financing and permits to selecting the final cashmere throw. I think and develop in long cycles, identify exceptional plots and lead every negotiation personally. Part of our concept is acquiring the surrounding land to preserve unbroken views for decades. Our architects must understand the site and its story, then create something unique – technically innovative, poetically expressed. No house may resemble another. We collaborate with art consultants, feng shui specialists and building biologists to ensure healthy environments for living, sleeping and working. These are future-ready homes, not ones to be torn down ten years later to make way for something better.

How do you avoid a standard look at the highest level?

Our homes combine timeless architecture with state-of-the-art building physics and services. We use local timber, natural stone and mineral plasters, ensuring shorter delivery routes and a healthy indoor climate. UPTON buildings meet the strictest energy and efficiency standards: highly insulated shells, airtight construction, intelligent ventilation and heating systems with heat recovery and smart building automation. This reduces both energy demand and running costs. Our homes are designed to be largely self-sufficient, fully up-to-date technologically and, wherever possible, equipped with private water sources. We build precisely, using premium materials and flexible floor plans that ensure longevity and adaptability through every life stage. We’ve found answers to every question, from form to function.

What matters most to you?

Positioning UPTON as a boutique developer with a clearly defined design signature.

The move to St Moritz – a new era begins

You seem to have pulled it off. After your success in Kitzbühel, you’re now launching exciting new developments in St Moritz.

The move to St Moritz marks a new chapter for UPTON, an evolution toward precision-curated, substance-led developments at the highest international level. With the Engadin Lodges, we’ve entered a new phase – refined, timeless developments built to last for generations. We’ve created three properties in the most exclusive part of town. The Engadin Lodges consist of two semi-detached homes on the prestigious Via Tinus – the same street where Tinus 1982 is located. You could describe their style as follows: generous, light-filled rooms with luxurious master suites, wellness bathrooms and private green spaces. Then there’s Chesa Dimlej – a chalet at 1,822 metres above sea level, right on Lake St Moritz, with spectacular mountain views. Each house has its own story and aesthetic identity. Every project begins with a comprehensive study to determine what fits the environment and the climate. St Moritz is much harsher than Kitzbühel – for example, an outdoor pool isn’t viable. Here, we work with clear, traditional standards that are strictly enforced. Local authorities pay close attention to authenticity and detail. The old Engadine farmhouses are beautiful templates. They require different landscaping, native woods, rougher stone. Even terrace orientation, exterior plaster and painted window surrounds must all harmonise.

What were your fastest and slowest sales?

Timeframes range from a few months to a few seconds. When a home costs 35.5 million, buyers naturally consult their teams. It takes time to verify the building services, electricals, legal rights of way, sightlines and art valuations – and for lawyers to sign off. I also know the classic entrepreneur type who signs immediately after the first viewing.

Chesa Dimlej, St. Moritz

The UPTON signature

Are there advantages to being a woman in a male-dominated industry?

I believe so. Women read spaces and people differently. They tend to be more intuitive, diplomatic, and often more persistent. This industry demands stamina, strategic thinking and negotiation skills. If I had to describe my business style, I’d say I negotiate with empathy, but a clear structure.

Even when the sales process gets tough?

I don’t handle sales through my own firm; that’s entrusted to external sales agencies. But the agents chosen must align with each individual project. I also design the presentation that each agent delivers. How do customers arrive at the house? How are they guided through the property? Where do they sit down to drink a cappuccino together? I decide whether and how many fireplaces are lit, whether the waterfall is flowing, what music plays in the lift, what lighting is used in each room. I genuinely don’t know of any other mobile developer who is as committed or as available to clients as I am. Just recently, a buyer called to ask where to source more of the accessories I’d picked for her home. Of course I helped – my service doesn’t end at the point of sale.

How many projects are you currently working on in parallel?

UPTON is a boutique developer. We’re currently running five projects, with a combined value of around 230 million euros. My core team is five people. With all external partners included, we’re about 45.

What unforeseen developments have surprised you most?

That success increases your personal visibility. I’m still adjusting to that. Lately, I’ve been asked several times if I plan to build in the South of France or New York, or expand further in St Moritz. I can’t give an answer just like that – we vet everything with UPTON’s usual diligence. And now buyers approach me directly. My daughter laughed recently when someone addressed me as “Mrs Upton” in a Munich shop. She said, “Mum, your branding is working.”

What tends to be easier than expected?

Making the impossible possible. If you stay consistent and keep your patience and a sense of humour, doors open that once seemed firmly closed. My team jokingly calls me “the yes-maker”.

What have you learned through your projects?

That every detail matters, whether it’s design, calculation or scheduling. True perfection can only be achieved when everyone involved is ready to take on full responsibility.

You see it as your job to create homes for others. Where do you feel at home?

I live near Kitzbühel and feel most at home in the Alps. But I don’t define home as a place. It’s a feeling: of safety, belonging and freedom to grow. It’s emotional. I want my clients to feel, “I’ve arrived. I feel free!” I design generous rooms in open, natural settings, never in the middle of a city. You should also feel safe. In the Kitzbühel Alps or the Swiss mountains, crime is almost non-existent. Most people don’t even lock their homes. We build in places with the best air quality, clean drinking water and top medical care. Great infrastructure and excellent restaurants matter too. These are the things I look for, because they matter to me personally.

UPTON’s mantra: Go the extra mile!

What would you include in your personal instruction manual for partners and employees?

We’re not here to work by the book. Go the extra mile! I do it too. 

About the company

UPTON Group: One-of-a-Kind Properties Designed for Generations

UPTON stands for architectural precision, exceptional locations and developments that will last for generations. Each residence is a one-of-a-kind, curated piece, shaped by a philosophy that fuses architecture, nature and technology into a timeless whole. At the helm is founder and CEO Mary-Ann Schoeller, whose personal signature defines every project from site acquisition through to final handover. Schoeller personally oversees every strategic decision, from strategic orientation and the selection of exceptional locations to the architectural precision of each individual development. UPTON is dedicated to developing architecturally outstanding properties in the most sought-after regions of Europe. It stands for a construction method that creates sustainable and timeless living spaces by guaranteeing exceptional quality and aesthetics. UPTON residences blend perfectly into their naturally beautiful surroundings and offer living spaces full of art and refinement. They are designed by first-class designers and local artisans, with every detail carefully thought out. Sustainability is at the heart of everything the UPTON Group does. Environmentally friendly building materials, energy-efficient technologies, resource-saving construction methods and the integration of renewable energy sources meet the highest standards of forward-looking construction for distinguished clients.

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