C.F. Møller Architects, a powerhouse Danish firm, has taken the grand-prize in a competition to design a totally zero-energy housing development for Denmark's Aalborg waterfront.

Of the five groups that competed, C.F. Møller was one of only two that passed the stringent, zero-energy guidelines. The firm pulled that feat off by some clever design features that maximize the potential for on-site energy generation.

Particularly key is the shape of the building itself. No, it's not a ski-jump, despite its looks. Rather, the long, sloping form creates a huge plane for almost 13,000 square feet of solar panels--enough, given typically PV power outputs, to provide electricity for all 60 apartments in the complex.

Meanwhile, C.F. Møller sited the building right on a fjord. That, in turn, will allow the building to draw cold water to power heat pumps. And because the location makes for particularly high winds, four wind turbines would be installed and dedicated to charging electric cars.

[Via World Architecture News, which has more images and info]