Biel, CH | Delémont, CH
A building that meets the highest architectural and environmental standards.
With one apartment per floor, each unit offers maximum intimacy and views in all four directions. Situated on the first terrace of the Sorne, the building benefits from a unique panorama over the Vallée de Delémont and the Val Terbi.
The structure, with a load-bearing core of concrete walls and columns set back from the façade, allows the rooms to be modular, particularly in the façade area. The spaces are very open and generous. The façade is made entirely of wood and is very well insulated. The façade is made of untreated, split fir shingles from the Franches-Montagnes.
No synthetic materials have been used throughout the building, except for sealants. Mineral materials were used in the construction, such as natural stone for the kitchen worktop, stoneware for the flooring, wall tiles in the wet rooms and steel for the kitchen furniture. Oak was chosen for other components such as windows, flooring and built-in cupboards.
The air in the apartments is circulated by a comfort ventilation system with heat recovery. The supply air is pre-conditioned by a ground loop, i.e. it is raised in winter and lowered in summer before entering the ventilation unit. The annual primary heating energy requirement is less than 1.5 litres of fuel oil equivalent per square metre. Heating and hot water are provided by a heat pump with geothermal probes. A solar system on the roof produces the energy needed not only for all the building services, but also for the three apartments. The residents of these apartments already meet the standards of the 2000-watt society.
Status: Built
Location: Delémont, CH
Firm Role: architect
Additional Credits: photos by Adrien Barakat