A project presented at the WAF Singapore, these residents can literally ski out the door

Ski fanatics: prepare yourselves. Architect Shokhan Mataibekov of his eponymous practice has found a silver lining to the city of Astana in Kazakhstan's freezing winters by creating a ski slope atop a residential building.

This will be the first residential building in the world to use its roof for a ski slope and Mataibekov presented the project at the 2015 World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Singapore.

Deemed 'House Slalom', the 1,000ft slope begins on the roof and finishes at ground level, permitting residents to literally ski out the door. The structure would be 21 stories with 421 apartments if built.

The concept uses the tiers of the residential building in place of a mountain, for the nearest slalom track is four hours away. This way, sports team can also use it for training.

The architect hopes the unique structure could pose as a future landmark for the city, where the general public as well as building residents can also enjoy the slope.

Astana sees snow across its flat plains four to six months of the year, however in the warmer months Mataibekov has found a solution to losing profit. An artificial cover made from 'SnowFlex' that provides a similar experience to natural snow would cover the slalom track, ensuring a year-round working slope, from day to night.

Although relatively short, the track's length is compensated by the speedy lifts, according to the architect, where elevators inside the building taking 45 seconds to ascend, replacing standard ski lifts that usually take two-to-three minutes. Elevators are cheaper than traditional ski lifts, resulting in lower building costs to cover both these and the SnowFlex track cover.

All images courtesy of Shokhan MataibekovRead more:Can agricultural waste become an everyday accessory?10 Buildings that won awards in 2015Giant spheres form new Amazon corporate space