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Chalet Combloux has an AA energy rating and heating costs of just €800 a year


A love of the mountains combined with a passion for eco-construction led Steven Downs to the Alps, where he builds environmentally friendly chalets


T


he chocolate-box ski chalet covered in snow, family warming themselves by the


log fi re in a cosy interior, is the picture-postcard image of Alpine living. But when the temperatures descend to minus 10, the heating cranks up and the chimney pours with smoke, it’s not just household bills that can skyrocket – so can the impact on the environment. Timber-clad traditional


exteriors can be deceiving – many ski chalets are built in concrete to withstand extreme weather, and that means low energy-effi ciency and high heating bills. Couple that with ‘natural ventilation’, letting in freezing air through window vents and cracks, and you have a home that is fi ghting against the environment to provide that cosy post-ski sanctuary. But as an expert in


sustainable architecture, I knew that didn’t have to be the case, and set out to prove it is possible to build homes, even


are so well insulated the bills are on average €700 per year to heat a home of over 150m2


. Our


aim is to make that even lower by adding more eco systems.


Steven and his family moved to the Alps a decade ago


in extreme mountain climates, that work in harmony with the surrounding environment. I moved with my family to


the Alps a decade ago to build chalets using SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) structures and other integrated eco systems for ventilation and heating, and we now have a large portfolio of AA energy-rated properties. We harness and recycle existing


62 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2024


heat energy and engineer almost passive ski chalets – almost unheard of where we live in the Haute-Savoie. The versatility of the SIP system means we can still achieve the chocolate-box look, or more modern styles with larger open-plan spaces. But instead of using signifi cant amounts of energy and cash on keeping living areas cosy, our chalets


SPECIALISING IN SIPS Since my fi rst ski trip aged 11, I have loved the mountains and snow. When I started running university ski holidays while doing my degree and post-grad in sustainable architecture, my eyes were opened to the amount of construction happening in concrete, with little insulation and no thought for the Alpine eco-system. Over the last 20 years I have


been designing and building eco-friendly properties all over the world and fi nally I teamed up with SIP manufacturers to bring this building method to the mountains in France. I specialised in SIP construction because it’s perfect for building in the extreme conditions of the Alps. A SIP structure is much stronger than traditional timber frame, and


© ECSUS DESIGN


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