The single-family home 'Dzintale' combines passive design, heat recovery ventilation and biomass as a thermal source, all integrated into an architecture adapted to the Alpine terrain.
Located in the Alpine village of Salvan (Switzerland), the single-family home 'Dzintale' is a remarkable example of how contemporary architecture can integrate sensitively into its natural surroundings without compromising on high energy performance. Conceived as a passive chalet certified under the MINERGIE-P standard, the house achieves a primary energy consumption of just 35 kWh/m2·year, well below the usual thresholds, even for efficient buildings. This performance is supported by a carefully designed thermal envelope, featuring triple glazing, reinforced insulation, and a strategic orientation that maximises solar gains in winter, while overhangs and external shading devices mitigate summer overheating.
Beyond the figures, what makes the project particularly interesting is how technical solutions are seamlessly integrated with architectural decisions that respond to the site. The house adapts to the slope of the terrain to reduce excavation, and its geometry opens southward like a visual cone framing the valley views. The use of local materials such as Salvan stone and larch wood reinforces this connection with the landscape. As for active systems, the house employs a biomass-based thermal solution, with a pellet boiler connected to a masonry storage silo integrated into the building structure. Heat is distributed via underfloor heating, which not only improves system efficiency but also enhances perceived thermal comfort. Electricity production is supported by an 18 m² photovoltaic installation integrated into the roof, covering part of the building’s energy demand without compromising its architectural coherence.
