Casa Calénc is an example of sustainable building and living. Our dream was to have a sustainable holiday house with a minimal ecological footprint after the renovation. Not only with regard to the building materials used, but also with regard to the use of clean energy and the reuse of materials. We now live with our guests in a house that produces almost all of its own energy and uses rainwater for the toilets, the swimming pool and the (vegetable) garden. And we are quite proud of that.

Sustainable construction and living

All stones were stacked by hand centuries ago. How sustainable is that? And that remained the case during the rebuilding in 2008 and 2009. We added contemporary sustainability to the renovation of Casa Calénc. Materials have been reused and, if necessary, purchased locally.

The holiday apartments are unique. Their pleasant interior enhances the Italian holiday feeling by combining age-old robustness and contemporary luxury.

Most of the energy that we use is produced sustainably. Produced with our own solar panels that produce electricity, the surplus stored in our Tesla battery and thermopanels that produce hot water. At Casa Calénc you can use the fridge, the dishwasher and the oven with a good feeling. Or flush the toilet. You do not have to worry about a splash in the pool, because the pump installations run on clean energy and the use of chemicals has been thought through during maintenance.

The water heated by the sun is used for the showers and kitchens and for heating the house. Floor heating and wall heating have been applied. We use surplus hot water in the spring and autumn to heat the swimming pool. The rainwater is collected in underground tanks and reused as flushing water for the toilets, to top up the swimming pool and to water the garden and vegetable garden.

We have been careful with the environment and our garden. Our garden is landscaped and the natural fringes of trees and shrubs has not been cut down. An oasis for birds, amphibians and butterflies. The new planting is a mix of local trees and fruit trees. The lawn is sown with a mixture of grass seeds that requires little water and fertilizer.  Our vegetable garden is organic and our own tomatoes and lettuce taste much better. Every spring a fresh compost layer comes over it and there are worms to make the garden soil loose. Fresh eggs? Three chickens lay eggs in their laying box hidden in the partial shade of an old fig.

The hand pump works again and pumps up cool water from an old well. In the shadow of the elderberry it is a wonderful place to imagine yourself in the old days.