Fabrice ANDRÉ

Solution / The Col-de-Sarenne Refuge

Located in a region of the French Alps called Oisans, the Col-de-Sarenne refuge was completely rebuilt by Fabrice André and his girlfriend Catherine Bergiron in 2003. Perched at an elevation of over 2000 metres, the refuge is a green building which is supplied entirely by renewable energy sources. Wastewater is treated in a plant-based “phytodepuration” system. In addition, everything on the menu is organic.

The sustainability of the Col-de-Sarenne refuge lies mainly in the ingenious methods used to produce clean energy. There are solar ovens, vertical-axis wind turbines and a small electrical power plant. The refuge has become a model for green building, where the owner's ingenuity has been placed at the service of sustainable development.