Guisan House, La Tour-de-Peilz, Vaud

The Guisan house, named after its owners and completed in 1999, has the Minergie label, which indicates low energy consumption. Since Minergie is a registered trade name, only buildings meeting the energy standard without loss of comfort are allowed to use the label. The house uses solar energy, backed up by wood-burning heating when necessary. It is also self-sufficient in water, collecting rain on the roof, and has its own system for recycling waste, including sewage. The round shape was chosen because it is the best for retaining energy. The architect was Gilles Bellmann, of Chailly/Montreux, and the construction engineers were Bois Consult Natterer of Etoy.