Constructive Alps 2020 – Climate conscious architecture in the Alps

Bern, 06.11.2020 - On 6 November Switzerland and Liechtenstein will award for the fifth time the Constructive Alps architectural award for sustainable renovation and building in the Alps. Of the 328 entries submitted, the jury awarded ten outstanding projects.

The Constructive Alps jury selected ten buildings in which architects have paid particular attention to the natural resources and building traditions of the Alps. The buildings are examples of how architecture can successfully combine aesthetics and climate responsibility. The first three places, which share prize money of EUR 50,000, were awarded to an agricultural school in St. Gallen, an assembly workshop in Vorarlberg, and a mountain guesthouse in Glarus. This year members of the public were also able to vote for their favourite project.

The first prize was awarded to an agricultural school in Salez in the canton of St. Gallen, constructed in 2019. Here the cantonal authorities in collaboration with architect Andy Senn set new standards in terms of climate efficiency. The jury was impressed by the intelligent application of the low-tech principle in the building’s construction, which is kept as simple as possible for maximum durability. Second prize went to the Kaufmann carpentry and joinery business’s assembly workshop in Reuthe, Vorarlberg, constructed in 2017. Situated on the edge of the Bregenzerwald, the workshop is constructed from concrete columns with a beechwood frame. The unusual construction of the supporting structure meant the workshop could be given a flat form, and it is a wonderful example of the art of timber construction in the Alps. The jury awarded third prize to the Ortstockhaus in Braunwald. This guesthouse, designed by the Glarus architect Hans Leuzinger and built in 1931, is an icon of the modern period in the Alps. During the recent renovations, the architects showed great respect for the original listed building, which now stands as a model of sustainable development 1772m above sea level.

Commendations and public’s favourite

Commendations

  • Community house St. Ursula, Brig / CH
  • Hergiswald Inn, Kriens / CH
  • Economic building Josef Weiss, Dornbirn / AT
  • Gugg-Hof, Brannenburg / DE
  • Contrada Bricconi, Oltressenda Alta / IT
  • Residential building Le Solaris, Grenoble / FR
  • Mountain Chapel Kendlbruck, Ramingstein / AT

Public's favourite

  • Congress and Exhibition Center, Agordo / IT

10 years of Constructive Alps

On 24 November the exhibition ‘Constructive Alps - Building for the Climate’ is due to open its doors at the Alpine Museum in Bern and is set to run until the end of May 2021.* To mark the tenth anniversary of Constructive Alps, the exhibition not only presents the nominated and award-winning entries, but also takes a look at outstanding projects from previous years. Furthermore, on 9-10 June 2021, a conference on sustainable renovation and construction will be held in St. Gallen under Switzerland’s presidency of the Alpine Convention.

*These dates may still be subject to change due to the pandemic. Visitors should consult the Alpine Museum website.

Constructive Alps 2020 is a contribution by Switzerland and Liechtenstein towards implementing the Alpine Convention and its climate action plan. The Alpine Convention is the world's first internationally binding agreement for the sustainable development of a mountain region. The eight Alpine countries and the European Union have agreed a climate action plan to make the Alps a model region for climate protection and adaptation. Switzerland assumes the presidency of the Alpine Convention in 2021-2022, during which time it wishes to promote cooperation in the Alpine region and to focus on the issues of climate, sustainable mobility, rail-to-road policy and Alpine cities.


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