Salez Agricultural Center wins architecture prize
The St. Gallen Agricultural Center in Salez was awarded the Constructive Alps Architecture Prize at the beginning of November 2020. The prize is awarded to particularly climate-conscious buildings in the Alpine region.
Switzerland and Liechtenstein have awarded the Constructive Alps architecture prize to Salez. The prize was held for the fifth time. A total of almost 330 projects have been submitted. From these, a jury selected ten entries, of which the first three will receive a total of 50,000 Swiss francs. The Agricultural Center Salez has reached the first place.
Agricultural Center Salez
The Salez Agricultural Center consists of a conference center, estate farm, state vineyard and orchard. Together with the practical trial plots in Flawil, it is operated by the SG Agricultural Center (LZSG). This also has advisory centers in Kaltbrunn and Sargans.
According to the jury, the canton of St. Gallen, together with architect Andy Senn, has set new standards in terms of climate efficiency. The new building convinced the jury because "it consistently and intelligently carries through the principle of 'low-tech', a construction method that is as simple as possible for a long service life".
The building is heated with a wood chip system using sustainable raw material from the region. The heating plant also supplies the heating energy for the cantonal penal institution Saxerriet and the upper school center Türggenau of the municipality of Sennwald via a long-distance pipeline.
A photovoltaic system is installed on the flat roof of the new building. It covers around 60 percent of the electricity requirements.
"Constructive Alps" from Salez convinces
Constructive Alps is awarded to projects that are convincing in terms of sustainable construction and renovation in the Alps. Switzerland and Liechtenstein have now awarded this prize for the fifth time, as stated in a Media release means.
2The Salez Agricultural Center is thus one of the projects that demonstrate that architecture can combine aesthetics and climate rationality, according to a statement by the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE). The building of the center focuses on the simplest possible construction method and a long service life. The canton and architect Andy Senn have thus set new standards in terms of climate efficiency.
Other winning projects
The new building for the St. Gallen Agricultural Center in Salez opened in May 2019 after just two years of construction. An assembly hall in Vorarlberg and a mountain inn in Glarus made it into second and third place. In addition to seven recognition prizes, an audience award has also been determined for the first time.
More about the architecture award Constructive Alps can be found at here
