Ecohouse Risan is energy efficient, sustainable, cool in the summer, warm in the winter.
Built to Passivhaus Standard, a build to this standard was very difficult, as in 2013 when the build started not many suppliers for this design lived in Montenegro, builders? German suppliers for this standard worked with Belgrade firms, not with Montenegrin.
In 2010 we started to find out and learn how to build a Passive House, attending many Passivhaus Conferences in Germany and Austria. Our EcoHouse utilises natural sources of heating and cooling as far as is practical, such as how it is oriented (more windows to the South, fewer to the North), the sun, and solar panels for domestic hot water; we have a heat pump for heating and cooling. The German Passive House standard requires intelligent design and implementation of the 5 Passive House principles: thermal bridge-free design, superior windows, ventilation with heat recovery, quality insulation, and airtight construction. Our architect was an Austrian Specialist in Passivhaus Design.
This is the Scottish terrace, with a view to Boka Bay leading out to the Adriatic Sea. In Wisteria time in the spring it is so beautiful to sit there, enjoying the view and seeing the water. The scent is a delight, hearing the buzzes of the bees, we are truly connected with nature. We have a plate out for the bees with water, with stones to rest on, and some small plants.
Flowers/plants:
We have fused our indoor garden with our outdoor one, biophilic design has helped us to be one with nature. Our large windows make us feel like we sit next to a tree or bushes. It’s heavenly to have a change of flowers/plants throughout the year. Starting with Daffodils, tulips, colourful Asian Lilies, peonies, and gorgeous Amaryllis, going on with Jasmin, and Roses, they are in pots on the Scottish terrace. We had much to learn how to deal with the summer heat and no or little rain and still learning.
Our beautiful spacious terrace or Karlsplatz (named as a combination of a favourite place in Munich & our first tortoise Karl) We found Karl when he was very young & he lived there while the house was being built. We found him a wife and they now live in the wilderness, next door.
We like our apartment, it is spacious, and our guests like it. It has many facilities. We enjoy giving our guests a break from stress, which we have also been through. The Terrace was designed to connect with nature, the Vranac vines had been there for some 30 years, but they still bring in a good harvest. Mr & Mrs. Kiwi are bringing fruit now. Yes of course one can sunbathe… We planted jasmine and built stone walls to surround the terrace with vines, kiwis, Jasmin, and the plumbago in mid-July bringing a blue colour in, the terrace is covered by other greenery, and there is an outdoor shower for cooling down. One can have breakfast indoors or outdoors, the is a specially built grill to cook supper under the sky and greenery, outdoors. Yes, one can hear nightingales and other birds. A glass of wine is not far away.
