Hit the Hütte

Well if you’re going to start somewhere, might as well start big. This is based on an article I recently spotted in the May 2010 (English edition) issue of Detail Magazine – Green Issue. Many hill walkers will be familiar with the concept of bothies or Biwakschachtel to our German friends. Essentially a basic shelter providing hill walkers or farm workers with free basic accommodation in remote areas, several are scattered around the Scottish Highlands and within secluded areas of the Alps. Within the Swiss Alps, 3000m above sea level and 8km as the crow flies from the nearest road fit for traffic, lies the newly constructed Monte Rosa Hütte. Locations for construction do not really get much more isolated than this however you would struggle to find a better example of what architecture can achieve without compromise.

Brief + Design

Swiss Architects Bearth + Deplazes certainly had a task on their hands taking on this brief. Working on an initial design by architecture students from various colleges as part of a four term 'Studio Monte Rosa Hütte' the site provided a number of challenges; no electricity, running water or sewage to tie into and no infrastructure ensuring that transport logistics would be a key issue. The end result is a boulder shaped 3-storey structure that looks as if it has been deposited at random by a slow moving glacier, and further shaped by the extreme weather conditions. The autonomous design allows the building to perform the dual task of blending in with its picturesque surrounding landscape whilst acting as a landmark and orientation point for visitors to the area. This orientation point is continued inside with an internal winding staircase hugging the inside face of the external wall, accompanied with a strip of glazing allow the occupants to constantly consider their relationship with their surroundings. The 6.5million Franc Hütte provides temporary accommodation to over 120 visitors per year, and is only staffed in its most prolific season - between March and September.

Construction + Services

Built in short time windows in spring and summer, construction consisted of a timber prefab frame with a highly insulation facade supported on a star-shaped steel assembly platform. Due to logistical problems, all parts had to be transported on site via 3000 helicopter flights and erected by a team of 35 committed craftsmen living for 5 days at a time in the old Monte Rosa Hütte - weather obviously affecting the program.

Electricity is provided by shimmering 84m² photovoltaic panels placed on the south-facing elevation. Electricity generated is then stored in batteries (200kWh) for use with cooking (with a gas back-up), lighting and running various equipment.

Solar collectors (I had to double check the difference between solar panels and solar collectors – panels are for generating electricity, collectors for generating heat) placed as a band around the base of the structure have the added bonus of reflection from the surrounding snow. This energy is then used to heat water and warm air. In combination with this, the glazing accompanying the internal sweeping staircase has been designed to follow the line of the sun thus maximising the passive radiant heat which is then distributed around the building by minimal ventilation plant. The warm air created is delivered to individual rooms via floor level slits in the doors, and extracted directly above the door (reducing ceiling thickness and minimising lengths of ducts). CFD (computational fluid dynamics) simulation showed that circulation bypass would not be a problem. Extracted air is then channelled to a heat recovery system, and reused to heat water for the four hot showers in the guest quarters. Back-up energy is provided by a combined heat and power system which burns on rapeseed.

Melt water is collected in a cave 40 metres above the hut with a storage capacity of 200m³, thus creating enough water pressure - no pressure booster required. Water is then used for cooking, washing, cleaning and personal hygiene. Microfilter treats sewage, producing „grey water“ which is then reused for flushing toilets or for washing and released into environment in a purified state.

Green Credentials

With most of its energy coming from renewable sources, the building is 90% self-sufficient in water and energy terms (or 60-70% with cooking) ensuring only 10% of the huts energy is flow in by helicopter, which obviously makes a large dent in the carbon footprint. All components and equipment must be market-tested, robust and reliable, as maintenance would be an issue, minimum valve and pumps - less to replace.

A model predicted control system was created to increase efficiency further – an energy management plan monitored that is controlled remotely, in this case the system in controlled in a small office in a far-off town in Switzerland. Due to the fluctuation in the buildings occupancy levels, an intelligent energy management, rather than a system only being aware of the present situation of the building was required. Here is my understanding of how this works: First the scenario – A busy weekend where the hut is at full occupancy, all guests leaving on a Sunday evening and the building is left with a full septic tank and half empty batteries. The weather during the following week is terrible to start with, but improving later in the week. Using a normal control system, treatment of sewage tank would begin, emptying the remaining batteries which in turn signal the backup power to kick in. Using a predictive regulation system (which includes weather forecasting and predicted visitor numbers) knowing that few people will visit during the week and of improving weather later in the week, delays sewage treatment, allowing the batteries to charge fully and empty the septic tank without using heat and power plant backup therefore doing without the use of a back-up generator and saving energy.

Obviously the requirement for constructing any structure in such an isolated location is questionable, particularly when it involves 3000 helicopter flights (almost half of the total kg Co2 for the building over a 50 year period, however total for new building is only a third of the existing hut). However what cannot be overstated is the declaration that this building makes. 70% (two thirds of that being renewable energy) of the huts accumulated energy use goes towards running it, with 30% (just over half renewable) towards construction and eventual demolition over a 50 year period. By good design and overcoming such obvious unyielding issues it provides us with irrefutable evidence that we must challenge the way in which we view solutions to problems, and indeed how we takes these challenges for granted, not seeing them as the opportunities they are. Opportunities which allow us make better use of our surrounding environment and how we can make better use of the waste energy that we produce.