Minergie certification for Andermatt

In the heart of the Gotthard massif lies the small village of Andermatt, which despite its striking location remained untouched by tourism for a long time. Thanks to a comprehensive tourism initiative by the major Egyptian-Montenegrin investor and developer Samih Sawiris, this has now changed and Andermatt has become an attractive destination for winter and summer visitors. We were also involved in this project and, as architect and general planner, have been responsible for getting the largest flat block there, Haus YARA, off the ground in recent months. Our guiding principle for this project was to combine tradition and modernity in order to create a harmonious whole between contemporary living and traditional architecture. MINERGIE certification, which was officially awarded the week before last, is also part of the concept.

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In the heart of the Gotthard massif lies the small village of Andermatt, which despite its striking location remained untouched by tourism for a long time. Thanks to a comprehensive tourism initiative by the major Egyptian-Montenegrin investor and developer Samih Sawiris, this has now changed and Andermatt has become an attractive destination for winter and summer visitors. We were also involved in this project and, as architect and general planner, have been responsible for getting the largest flat block there, Haus YARA, off the ground in recent months. Our guiding principle for this project was to combine tradition and modernity in order to create a harmonious whole between contemporary living and traditional architecture. MINERGIE certification, which was officially awarded the week before last, is also part of the concept.

The Swiss MINERGIE quality label recognises energy-efficient construction and renovation and can be awarded in various forms. The label is based on a concept for energy-efficient construction developed in the 1990s by Dr Ruedi Kriesi and Heinz Uebersax, which is now managed and continuously developed by the MINERGIE ASSOCIATION.

The core idea is to promote energy-efficient construction and living with the aim of reducing energy consumption and increasing living comfort and environmental friendliness through certain measures. In addition to purely sustainable aspects, economic factors are also among the reasons why Minergie certification can be of interest to building owners.

The award is essentially based on the following points:

Increasing energy efficiency through good thermal insulation of the entire shell and the use of efficient building technology
Integration of renewable energies with the aim of reducing CO₂ emissions
Increasing the quality of life through good air quality and noise protection, in our case through controlled ventilation systems
Reduction in operating costs
Increasing the quality and value of the property thanks to forward-looking and durable construction methods
Certification is possible in the Minergie-Standard, Minergie-P and Minergie-A variants and can be supplemented with the ‘Eco’ suffix in each case. Minergie-A is subject to the strictest requirements, meaning that these buildings are virtually energy self-sufficient. Minergie-P is equivalent to a passive house due to its low energy requirements. The standard variant is regarded as the basis and serves to reduce energy consumption and improve comfort through an improved indoor climate. The Eco add-on specifies additional requirements in terms of health and ecology. The appropriate standard can be selected depending on individual requirements (energy efficiency, self-sufficiency or environmental friendliness).

Also interesting: certification to the Minergie standard can be subsidised by the state. Both the federal government and the cantons and municipalities offer funding programmes and subsidies for appropriate construction and renovation. Tax relief may also be available under certain circumstances. The financial subsidies make the initial costs and additional investments required for a Minergie-certified building more economically attractive and serve to actively promote sustainable construction.

In addition to the recently completed project in Andermatt, we are currently also supporting the construction of a detached house in Liesberg, which will also meet the requirements of the Minergie standard (P). For this purpose, we are also using the online platform ‘Eco-Tool’ for the first time, which supports us in assessing the ecological quality and calculates and correlates relevant parameters in the planning process.

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