The Boè hut is located at 2,871 meters above sea level on a barren plateau far above the tree line. Opposite, clouds scrape the northwest face of Piz Boè. It is not without reason that Lodovico Vaia, mountaineer, alpine guide and tenant of the refuge, advertises the refuge with the slogan "Take a break in a lunar landscape." Everything here is rough. If you want to renovate a mountain refuge in the middle of the Sella Group, you don't just have to dress warmly yourself. The house on Dolomiten-Höhenweg 2 should also provide its inhabitants with a warming home for many more decades, even in the harshest of Alpine winters.
Hikers look forward to a rest in the old walls with their inviting white and blue shutters. Architects see more here. Experts recognize the supporting structure from the end of the 19th century with dolomaia stone typical of the area. Over generations, new masonry elements were added. Over the course of more than 130 years, the small, storm-tested hut thus grew into a large one. Today it offers a hostel service, a restaurant serving Ladish food and an animal shelter. In 2018, the owners, the Society of Tridentine Alpinists, decided to renovate the Refugio. It was not only to be preserved, but to be made sustainable for the future.

Lightweight mineral panels, optimally designed for the climate.

For the thermal insulation, the architects chose an interior cladding of Multipor panels. For good reason: the mineral nature and porosity of these panels guarantee thermal insulation and breathability at the same time, because they absorb moisture in the wet months and release it again in the dry months. They also absorb sound. The panel is also mass and surface water repellent, which leads to better thermohygrometric behavior, that is, they are optimally adapted to the prevailing temperature and humidity. Another advantage spoke in favor of the lightweight Multipor mineral boards: The building material had to be transported up the mountain by helicopter.

Scientific search for the perfect material

What sounds like an obvious choice of product had previously been worked out detective-like by experts. The researchers from the Center for Applied Research Eurac Research in Bolzano first looked for suitable data for a simulation. To do this, they measured the hygrothermal properties of the stones in the historic part of the Boè Hut. Then they analyzed the behavior of the building in their "Hygrothermal Testing Lab" using special software for multidimensional construction details. This allowed them to predict the behavior of the materials and find a solution to prevent moisture damage. After all, the old house offered plenty of critical contact surfaces for water: between the historic building wall and the insulation material, as well as on thermal bridges at the head of the wooden beam within the existing wall.
To identify the extreme climatic conditions in detail, the researchers analyzed historical climate data from various stations near the refuge. Only then were they able to define the most appropriate insulation thicknesses and conditions of use. Thus, Multipor M3 Sp. 8 and Malta Multipor FIX X700 were chosen for the interior insulation.
The panels were applied directly to the dolomite stone wall, which was between 50 and 55 centimeters thick, and in some areas a cladding of spruce beads was then applied. This was also more complex than it sounds: the intervention proved to be particularly complex due to the location of the exterior and interior walls, as well as the larch wood beams in the floor and on the roof, which lean against the exterior wall.
Xella Italy took on the challenge and met it. Now, a solar-powered monitoring system from the Bolzano-based researchers measures the performance of the new insulation during the cold months. Finally, even after the renovation, everyone involved wants to learn more and give practical advice to those responsible for making the best use of the shelter.