Alpine Lodge in Styria
Situated at a height of 2,154 m, this new Alpine shelter has been built to passive-energy standards. At such a high altitude, exposed to strong solar radiation and where there is no infrastructure, the use of active and passive solar technology and the exploitation of rainwater seemed only logical. The location was analysed on the basis of a sun-path diagram, and the compact structure was positioned on a ridge exposed to strong winds so that it would not be buried beneath snow. The heavily insulated and largely closed north, west and east faces – wrapped in a protective layer of snow and ice in winter – minimize thermal losses. The south face, shielded from the wind, opens to the sun in the form of large-area solar panels and triple-glazed windows.
