Snow avalanche hazard in the Alpine region represents a dramatic factor of risk not only for skiers and mountaineers but also for dwellings and villages, with relevant consequences for local economies and transportation networks. Traditional alpine architecture and land planning show that, in the past, there was respect of humans versus Nature. Nowadays, the increasing demand of building and leisure spaces pushes the occupancy of the territory to more risky areas where appropriate design is therefore needed. Modern techniques of land surveying, e.g., laser scanner and 3D CAD, permit to model the avalanche phenomenon with great precision and to study the effects of impacts against buildings and structures, thereby enhancing the mapping of associated risk and suggesting strategies for protection. An experimental site has been realized by the Politecnico di Torino in the Gressoney Mountains - Valle d'Aosta, where monitoring of snow avalanches under different climatic conditions allows a progressive improvement of knowledge. Sustainable urban planning can therefore be pursued also thanks to these modern technologies, coupled with respect to Nature and attention to traditional architectural solutions.