All winners

Twin Alpine Houses

Honorable Mention in Architectural design

Situated at the edge of Triglav National Park, where the Alpine cultures of Slovenia, Italy, and Austria converge, the project explores how contemporary architecture can shape the future of Alpine heritage. Rather than replicating vernacular forms, it reinterprets the traditional mountain house as a resilient, ecological, and culturally rooted model for living in sensitive landscapes. The architecture minimizes its footprint by adapting to the steep terrain and preserving the site's natural morphology. A compact, elongated volume rests on a partially embedded concrete base, while the upper structure is built entirely from solid Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT), made from locally sourced Alpine spruce without synthetic adhesives. Replacing conventional CLT with dowelled timber construction demonstrates the potential of renewable, low-carbon timber systems that support regional forestry. The houses reinterpret Alpine traditions through a floating roof, sheltered outdoor spaces, dark timber façades, and carefully crafted details, transforming cultural memory into contemporary architecture. Conceived as temporary retreats from urban life, they foster reconnection with nature while proposing a replicable model for the sustainable renewal of Alpine settlements—preserving landscape identity, advancing ecological construction, and showing how architectural heritage can inspire innovation.

Participant category: Small company (< 10 employees)

Company name: Dekleva Gregoric Architects

Country: Slovenia

Location: Kranjska Gora, Slovenia

Client: private

Team: Dekleva Gregoric Architects, founded in 2003 by Aljosa Dekleva and Tina Gregoric, is an international architecture studio operating in the EU and the USA. The studio’s design philosophy revolves around “research by design” and “design by research".

Edition: 2026

Project status: Realised

Website: https://www.dekleva-gregoric.com/

Photo credits: Ana Skobe
Photo credits: Ana Skobe
Photo credits: Ana Skobe
Photo credits: Ana Skobe
Photo credits: Ana Skobe
Photo credits: Ana Skobe