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Group-H's self-sufficient refuge Du Gouter in Mont BlancBrave mountaineers hoping to reach the top of Mont Blanc will soon be able to rest at an extraordinary refuge 12,582 feet above sea level. Dubbed <a title="Spaced Mount Blanc’s Refuge du Goûter is Self-Sufficient and France’s Highest Building" href="http://www.refugedugouter.fr/" target="_blank">Refuge du Goûter</a>, this space-age self-sufficient shelter is being built from locally sourced pinewood, and it will be equipped with <a title="Spaced Mount Blanc’s Refuge du Goûter is Self-Sufficient and France’s Highest Building" href="http://inhabitat.com/tokyo-institute-of-technology-unveils-new-facade-decked-out-in-4500-solar-panels/" target="_blank">solar panels</a> and wind turbines. Designed for the French Alpine Club by Thomas Buchi and Hervé Dessimoz from <a title="Spaced Mount Blanc’s Refuge du Goûter is Self-Sufficient and France’s Highest Building" href="http://www.groupe-h.com/" target="_blank">Group-H</a>, the refuge will be the highest building in france when it opens in the near future.1
Group-H's self-sufficient refuge Du Gouter in Mont BlancLocated on one of the most popular routes used by climbers hoping to scale <a title="Spaced Mount Blanc’s Refuge du Goûter is Self-Sufficient and France’s Highest Building" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Blanc" target="_blank">Mont Blanc</a>, the <a title="Spaced Mount Blanc’s Refuge du Goûter is Self-Sufficient and France’s Highest Building" href="http://www.refugedugouter.fr/" target="_blank">Refuge du Goûter</a> took five years to plan and three more to build.2
Group-H's self-sufficient refuge Du Gouter in Mont BlancDubbed a 'high-altitude hotel,' the project has capacity for 120 people at 12,582 feet above sea level, which makes it the highest building in <a title="Spaced Mount Blanc’s Refuge du Goûter is Self-Sufficient and France’s Highest Building" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France" target="_blank">France</a>.3
Group-H's self-sufficient refuge Du Gouter in Mont BlancWith a total cost of €6 million, the eco-friendly <a title="Spaced Mount Blanc’s Refuge du Goûter is Self-Sufficient and France’s Highest Building" href="http://inhabitat.com/photos-life-at-aconcaguas-confluencia-a-sustainable-geodesic-base-camp-in-the-argentine-andes/" target="_blank">mountain</a> refuge is an incredible feat of engineering that sets an example for sustainable architecture at high altitudes.4
Group-H's self-sufficient refuge Du Gouter in Mont BlancThe <a title="Spaced Mount Blanc’s Refuge du Goûter is Self-Sufficient and France’s Highest Building" href="http://inhabitat.com/gervasutti-refuge-in-italy-is-a-prefab-tubular-pod/" target="_blank">refuge</a> is being built from locally sourced pinewood, it has triple-glazed windows and it can resist winds of up to 300 km/h.5
Group-H's self-sufficient refuge Du Gouter in Mont BlancThe building is powered by wind turbines and 750 square feet of<a title="Spaced Mount Blanc’s Refuge du Goûter is Self-Sufficient and France’s Highest Building" href="http://inhabitat.com/alex-vermeulens-floating-solar-panels-installation-in-eindhoven-is-designed-to-lift-a-levitating-buddha/" target="_blank"> solar panels</a> on its roof, and it has an emergency backup generator that is fueled by rapeseed oil.6
Group-H's self-sufficient refuge Du Gouter in Mont BlancSolar energy will also be used to melt <a title="Spaced Mount Blanc’s Refuge du Goûter is Self-Sufficient and France’s Highest Building" href="http://inhabitat.com/artist-makes-giant-wintry-crop-circles-just-by-walking-in-the-snow/" target="_blank">snow</a> into water for cooking and flushing water-saving toilets.7
Group-H's self-sufficient refuge Du Gouter in Mont BlancA fantastic work of architecture and high-end engineering, The Refuge du Goûter has certainly scaled the heights in terms of green design.8
