Penthouse flats lose appeal

The most sought-after apartments, top-floor attic flats with big windows and lake views, are starting to lose their appeal as summers grow hotter.

A Zurich survey found buyers now prize apartments that stay cool, and property experts in Ticino say attic units may struggle to sell in the same way in ten or twenty years. 

Architects are being told to build for summer heat, not just winter warmth, using shading, high-performance windows, thicker insulation and materials such as hemp concrete. 

One-person households have grown 21% in the last decade and are projected to reach 40% of all Swiss homes by 2055, driving demand for smaller, more flexible flats.

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