Category: Projects

Dormakaba exhibits doors in the Next Facade and Design Studio

With a team of architect and property consultants as well as revolving door specialists, the locking technology group dormakaba is participating in the Next Facade and Design Studio from Wicona and participating partner companies. According to a press release , dormakaba wants to present its access solutions for facade planners in the 800 square meter studio in Frankfurt am Main from September.

The studio of Wicona, a German supplier of windows, doors and facades made of aluminum, as well as eleven other companies, has been offering trade visitors from the facade industry a platform for exchange and events for five years. “With this unique Next Facade and Design Studio platform, we are reaching a competent, very interested specialist audience,” Frank Ulbrich, Key Account Manager at dormakaba, is quoted as saying in the press release.

Dormakaba’s on-site consultants are to use the exhibition for personal discussions with customers, for architect and property advice, workshops, training courses, sales meetings and events for target groups in facade construction. The company is building its new generation of automatic sliding doors in the main entrance area for this purpose. A revolving door designed for the sustainable facade design will also be accessible.

July 2022
Schindler & Scheibling wants to grow in Saland

The floor, facade and roof of Schindler & Scheibling’s new production hall in Saland are all made of wood, the Zürcher Kantonalbank informs in a statement . She supported the timber construction company based in Uster in setting up the new location. With the new building, Schindler & Scheibling wants to compensate for the lack of expansion options at the two locations in Uster and Hittnau ZH.

The 86 meter long, 46 meter wide and 17 meter high timber construction is also designed as a lighthouse project for timber construction. “We want to use this to arouse enthusiasm for timber construction among builders, carpenters, architects and also spontaneous visitors,” Nathanael Weiss, Head of Architecture at Schindler & Scheibling, is quoted as saying in the press release. The high-performance combination of solid wood and modern, curved glued laminated timber and the fact that the hall and roof are supported by “only five tree supports from different forest areas in the canton of Zurich” are described as particularly impressive.

At the new location, Schindler & Scheibling has set up a production line for solid wood element construction systems. Tailor-made constructions for ceilings, floors and walls are produced here, which can be installed on the construction site in record time using dowel technology. “Thanks to prefabricated timber construction, the individual home can be built within one to two days,” explains Fabian Scheibling, Head of Sales and Project Development at Schindler & Scheibling.

July 2022
Swimming fans buy the thermal bath Zum Raben in Baden

According to the press release , the realization of the Bad zum Raben cultural thermal baths planned by the Bagni Popolari association is getting closer. Buyers have already been found for over 600 cooperative shares at CHF 1,299 each for the purchase of the empty thermal baths on Baden’s Kurplatz. The search for further members of the cooperative for the future cultural and community pool continues, because according to the first estimate of the conversion and renovation requirements, an investment volume of around 1.3 million Swiss francs results.

It took just under six weeks to collect the required CHF 780,000, according to the club’s statement. With this equity, the cooperative property Bad zum Raben can now buy the bathing floor of the former bathing inn Zum Raben.

The association is “overjoyed that so many people have registered as Raben cooperative members in such a short time,” Andreas Rudow, co-president of the cooperative, is quoted as saying. “This is a strong sign that many people and organizations want a communal cultural thermal bath. And it makes us confident that we can also overcome the next, more difficult hurdle together: financing the upcoming conversion.”

In order for the unused thermal bath to be permanently filled with natural thermal water and art again, structural adjustments and extensive investments in the new bath technology are required. A non-profit cultural and community pool with four thermal pools is to be built by 2025.

The Bad zum Raben can be visited and bathed on Saturday, August 20, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. You can see the premises and the future room concept. Likewise on Saturday, September 3, for the same period.

July 2022
New building in Rotmonten: A green oasis for St. Gallen

The construction work for the replacement building in the area of Ludwigstrasse and Seeblickstrasse in the Rotmonten district in St. Gallen is in full swing. Compared to the old superstructure, the living space will be doubled: A total of 50 rental apartments – from 1.5 to 6.5 rooms – will be built in three buildings and three terraced single-family houses. The settlement thus offers diverse living space for mixed-age living in a natural environment.

The garden city in a modern way
At the beginning of the 20th century, the St. Gallen architect Adolf Gaudy created a green and yet urban structure in Rotmonten with his development plan. With the new development with extensive green areas, the AXA Investment Foundation is realizing a project that follows Adolf Gaudy’s idea of the garden city and is developing it further: “The mixture of contemporary residential and living space as well as extensive green areas are just 2.3 kilometers from the city center Central to the concept of Staufer & Hasler Architects and convinced us in the competition. Shapes and elements typical of the quarter were also incorporated and implemented in a contemporary way,” says Jan Biedermann, Development Project Manager at AXA Investment Managers.

Cross-generational meeting places
The heart of the new residential complex is a 70-year-old linden tree, embedded in the native and naturally planted garden courtyard. Together with the adjacent playground for children, this forms a meeting place for all ages. On these social areas, residents should have the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas. The apartments are all aligned with a view of the meeting places or green areas.

Ecological construction
The attic is designed in an element timber construction for an efficient and ecological construction method. This offers good sound insulation and ensures a comfortable room climate. The buildings are heated with geothermal heat pumps. In addition, the exhaust air from the apartments is collected and fed into an exhaust air heat pump for each house, which supplies energy for hot water. The entire building complex is Minergie-Eco certified.

July 2022
Schindler elevators and technology at CapitaSpring in Singapore

Schindler elevators serve the 51 floors of the office and serviced apartment building in Singapore’s financial district. Thanks to facial recognition and turnstiles controlled by QR codes, you can move around the building without contact. The Schindler PORT transit management solution optimizes visitor flows and waiting times and thus also energy consumption. Autonomous cleaning robots are also connected to the building’s elevators and access systems.

Designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group in collaboration with Carlo Ratti Associati, the CapitaSpring building is now part of the Singapore skyline. His “green oasis”, a garden 100 meters high, sets new standards for office design. The building has been awarded the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Award – one of the highest sustainability awards in Singapore.

“This is an exciting project for us in Singapore, where the sustainability of existing and new buildings is becoming increasingly important,” said Robert Seakins, Schindler Executive Committee member responsible for Asia Pacific. “Schindler technology is instrumental in enabling people to move around this new landmark seamlessly, efficiently, and safely.

July 2022
Five finalists for ULI Europe Awards for Excellence 2022
“The awards recognize the entire project development process, from planning and construction to economic viability, design, management and impact on society.

This year’s finalists include a variety of projects from different sectors and with different types of use, with a focus on the combination of different uses, sustainability, reuse and conversion as well as the design of sites and the formation of neighbourhoods.

The five finalists in alphabetical order:

Hammerbrookyln Digital Pavilion, Hamburg, Germany (Developer: Art-Invest Real Estate Management GmbH & Co. KG. Owner: Hammerbrooklyn Immobilien GmbH. Architect: LP Spine Architects); sustainable digital center and smart office building

Latitude, Courbevoie, Paris, France (Builder and owner: Générale Continentale Investissements. Architect: Studios Architecture); remodeled and extended office building from the 1970s

MÉCA (Maison de l’Économie Creatives et de la Culture en Aquitaine) Bordeaux, France (Client and owner: Region Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Architects: BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group; FREAKS freearchitects; Lafourcade-Rouquette Architectes); Center for contemporary art, which brings together three institutions

Norblin Factory, Warsaw, Poland (Developer and Owner: Capital Park Group; Architect: PRC Architekci); multifunctional complex for state-of-the-art offices as well as cultural, leisure and retail offers

Quai des Caps, Bordeaux, France (Developer: Fayat Immobilier & Pitch Promotion. Client: Keys REIM, Caisse des dépô Architects: Chartier Dalix, Hardel et Le Bihan, Moon Safari et Marjan Hessamfar & Joe Verons, and Jacques Ferrier); Mixed use complex in the renewed heart of the port city

The jury, made up of real estate professionals from the fields of architecture, commercial real estate, development, investment, property management and public-private partnerships, will now determine the winner for the EMEA region.

Projects will be evaluated on the extent to which they:
- experience acceptance on the market and thus stand for financial success;
- achieve a high standard in the areas of architecture, design, planning, construction, equipment, economy and management;
- be relevant to the current and future needs of the society in which they are located;
- Provide innovation through techniques, processes or partnerships;
- have a positive impact on the community and/or immediate environment, eg by promoting equity and inclusion;
- are characterized by ecological sustainability, a sense of responsibility and resilience; and
- Provide models, strategies or techniques that can be replicated or adapted.
The jury not only selects the overall winners, but also considers “special mentions” for projects that fall within a specific area, such as affordable housing, social value, climate change/resilience/sustainability, life sciences, repurposing, creative site design/arts & culture/engagement for society, health and well-being and smart technology are outstanding.
July 2022
SQUARE, the future-oriented HSG Learning Center

Architect? Dreamer? Or both? In any case, Sou Fujimoto is not an architect like any other. And therefore exactly the right thing to build the new experimental field of the University of St.Gallen for future-oriented forms of learning and teaching up on the Rosenberg: SQUARE. With his buildings, Fujimoto constantly explores what is possible. Many then rub their eyes and wonder whether his radically drawn creations are really buildings or spatial illusions. In any case, the SQUARE is real. Delicately encased in a light, almost ethereal glass facade, so complex that only three bidders applied for the project. In the end, Aepli Metallbau prevailed with its innovative AAC element façade. A lighthouse project for the whole of Eastern Switzerland that we can all be proud of.

Success through precision and precision through teamwork
In order to realize a “zero-tolerance facade” like this, everyone involved must work at the highest level of quality and strictly adhere to their tolerance framework. Teamwork and mutual trust are the key to success, which is why Aepli Metallbau worked particularly closely with the master builder, the scaffolder, the roofer, the building services and the crane operators. Each step was carefully planned and coordinated in advance. For example, the immensely large elements of the facade were lowered by the crane between the scaffolding and the building. And then precisely placed on the pre-assembled anchor points and the underlying module by four members of the Aepli assembly team. Laser measuring devices were used to precisely set the anchor points on the shell beforehand. Clever solutions were also required in logistics. The oversized elements were pre-produced in the Aepli production hall. However, they could not be transported through the narrow streets of the district on trucks standing up – as is usually the case – but lying down. A second crane was used to erect them on the construction site and hang them on the assembly crane.

The Aepli AAC façade: in a class of its own in terms of energy and looks
The outer shell of the SQUARE building impressively shows how well exceptional aesthetics and forward-looking sustainability can complement each other. To match the room-high glazing, it was designed as a prefabricated glass façade consisting of an AAC element façade (AAC = AEPLI-AIR-Control®). This technically superior, compact double-skin facade with venetian blinds in the space between the glass covers the highest energy requirements, protects against extreme solar radiation and allows an exceptional amount of daylight to enter the building. A high standard of sustainability was achieved through the consistent separation of building structure, facade skin and technical building installations. When the building is in operation, a large part of the energy required is generated in an environmentally friendly manner by means of geothermal probes and a photovoltaic system. The complete drainage of the building also shows ingenuity: It takes place in the facade. The rainwater runs down all floors – according to the same principle as a Chinese fountain.

The transparent facade: light in effect, complex in implementation
Buildings like the HSG Learning Center shape the image that people have of Japanese architecture in this country: transparent, open, dematerialized, almost ethereal. However, this visible lightness can only be achieved with complex technical and planning solutions. It starts with the architecture and goes through the logistics to the extremely demanding installation. For example, in order to create the optical lightness desired by the architect, Aepli Metallbau worked with room-high glass facade elements that have no balustrades. This was just one of many challenges, considering the consistent separation of building structure and facade skin and the size of the facade elements as well as the missing parapet bands. In total, the team built and installed 448 façade elements in 304 different designs. However, these are not directly connected to each other in this project – so there is neither a beginning nor an end. The usual gaps in a balustrade, which allow readjustment, simply do not exist. Which means that even minimal deviations are enough for the whole thing not to fit.

The new quality of learning
SQUARE aims to be an innovative place of thought and work that enables new ways of learning and interaction between students, teachers and practitioners. Based on a didactic concept, the HSG is striving for a new quality of learning in order to prepare students in the digital age as best as possible for their later professional tasks. SQUARE is to be understood as an ecosystem for the further development of the learning and teaching culture at the University of St. Gallen.

July 2022
The foundation stone for the Gupfengarten housing estate is laid

According to a press release , real estate service provider Steiner celebrated the laying of the foundation stone for the Gupfengarten residential area. With the official starting signal, the construction project for a “family-friendly development in the Zurich Unterland” will be initiated. Steiner took over development, consulting and sales. The general contractor Eiffage Suisse AG , headquartered in Glattbrugg ZH, the architects Graf Biscioni based in Winterthur and the client Evostate Immobilien AG from Zurich are involved in the implementation.

By the end of 2023, 36 terraced single-family houses and three multi-family houses with 21 condominiums are to be built on the Gupfengarten site south of the center of Niederweningen. The housing estate meets a contemporary living and development standard and covers the strong demand for high-quality living space.

The planning meets the criteria for sustainable construction. The heat is generated almost entirely by means of a heat pump, geothermal probes and photovoltaic system. An energy management system enables “efficient and intelligent” use of energy. According to the announcement, the wooden building envelope has optimal thermal insulation.

July 2022
Groupe E begins construction work for the Neuchâtel site

Groupe E has started construction work on a new operations center on the Sécherons II business park in Boudevilliers, in the municipality of Val-de-Ruz, the Friborg energy supplier informs in a press release . An administration building, a warehouse, a car wash, a yard for recycling and an underground car park are to be built here. The company put the investment volume at around CHF 22 million in October 2020.

Groupe E wants to design the new building as a “prime example of sustainability and environmental protection,” according to the statement. Around 950 square meters of solar modules on the roof and south facade, charging stations for electric vehicles and a bicycle rental system are planned for this purpose. A heat pump will heat the rooms, and Groupe E will use a free-cooling system for cooling. Rainwater is also to be collected and used in the car wash. In addition, a 10-meter-wide green border strip will be laid out around the building as a retreat for animals.

Immediately after completion, Groupe E plans to relocate the company’s employees, who are currently based in Neuchâtel Corcelles-Cormondrèche and responsible for the operation and expansion of the electricity network in the canton of Neuchâtel, to Boudevilliers. According to the announcement, Groupe E supplies around 33,000 customers with a total of 458 gigawatt hours of electricity annually. Via the subsidiary Vuilliomenet Électricité AG based in Boudry NE, Groupe E also offers services in the canton of Neuchâtel in the field of building technology or electrical systems and home automation.

July 2022
Phenomena presents the design of the main building

The design for the iconic buildings in the Phenomena exhibition was presented on July 6th in the new Limmattalbahn facility in Dietikon . According to a press release, the winning design for the main building, which is made entirely of wood, came from Professor Yves Weinand of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne ( EPFL ).

After a word of welcome from the mayor of Dietic, Roger Bachmann, overall project manager Urs J. Müller presented the winning project of the architectural competition. “Phenomena provides the basis for a better understanding of central themes of the present and future. Therefore, it demands an architecture that corresponds to its objectives and promotes the improvement of our planet through the understanding and use of modern science,” Müller is quoted as saying.

The main building on the Dietiker Niderfeld will be a structure made of regional logs. Intelligent robots process the natural trunks on site. You create a reusable plug-in system. After the phenomena, the wood can be used in other projects with almost no waste.

“With the buildings of the phenomena I want to show how one of the oldest building materials – wood – in connection with modern digital tools promotes local use and circularity,” Weinand is quoted as saying. The architect and head of the IBOIS laboratory for wooden structures at EPFL and founder of the Bureau d’Études Weinand has designed and built numerous emblematic wooden buildings. For example, the Saint Loup chapel, the new Vaud Parliament or, more recently, the Vidy Theater pavilion in Lausanne.

July 2022
New Clinic 3: Government Council approves changes

The University Hospital Basel (USB) is facing a long-term renewal of its structural infrastructure. With this generational project, the USB is laying the foundation for people in the Basel region to have access to a wide range of outpatient and inpatient medicine at university level in the coming decades. The changes to the existing development plan create the conditions for the construction of Klinikum 3. With a view to long-term use for the benefit of patients, the new Klinikum 3 offers a high degree of flexibility in use and enables sensible hospital processes. According to the current planning status, the new clinic will offer space for complex outpatient treatments, for example for a tumor center, and it will also accommodate functional and laboratory areas. Research facilities will also be added later. In addition, the new building offers the necessary space during the realization of Klinikum 2 without having to build costly and unsustainable provisional solutions in the hospital garden.

According to the current planning status, a first phase of the new building of Klinikum 2 is to be realized in the years 2022 to 2028, for which the development plan is already available and has been approved by the Great Council. The construction of Klinikum 3 is planned for 2024 to 2030. Some of the uses of Clinic 2 will then be shifted to Clinic 3 in order to be able to complete the base building of the new Clinic 2 between 2031 and 2038.

An objection from Homeland Security was received within the deadline against the public plan requirement regarding changes to the existing development plan. The University Hospital Basel and the Department of Construction and Transport have exchanged views with the Heimatschutz Basel and presented the hospital operational and planning law standpoints. The Government Council proposes that the Great Council dismiss the objection.

July 2022
The city wants to use synergies with the expansion of district heating

Since 2020, Energie Wasser Bern has been working on expanding the district heating network from the energy center in the Forsthaus. By 2035, 36 kilometers of main lines are to be laid in the existing roads. The district heating project is of central importance for achieving the goals of the municipal energy plan and is one of the largest infrastructure projects in recent decades.

Based on initial experiences in the Länggasse district, the municipal council intends to consistently use the district heating project for improvements in the interests of the population. If the street space is broken up for the laying of the lines, urban climate measures such as unsealing and planting of street and square surfaces, improvements for biodiversity, water retention or seepage should be implemented. At the same time, the municipal council wants to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists and for school children. In addition, urban drainage measures are to be implemented underground and, where appropriate, traffic signal systems are to be optimised.

Loan application is being prepared

To implement these measures, the municipal council is planning an investment loan of CHF 35 million. This loan is also intended to finance the necessary positions in the Directorate for Civil Engineering, Transport and City Green (a total of 5 additional project manager positions). After completion of the district heating project, the additional job budget will be reduced again through natural fluctuation. In view of the highly competitive market for skilled workers, the district heating expansion that has already started and the long lead times for construction projects, the municipal council has authorized the responsible directorate to advertise the positions now.

The corresponding loan proposal is now being prepared and is expected to be submitted to voters in the city of Bern in June 2023.

July 2022
The City Council approves the Josef-Areal development concept

Operation of the waste-to-energy plant in Josefstrasse was discontinued in spring 2021. A development concept was drawn up under the leadership of the Office for Urban Development in order to define what the area should look like in the future. The plan is to expand the work yard, a health center for the elderly in combination with apartments for the elderly, an indoor swimming pool and a neighborhood park. Additional rooms for the public and the quarter are also planned on the ground floor. The city council has now approved the development concept.

development and participation
As a basis for the development concept, the city carried out test planning. Various stakeholder groups took part in this test planning and the residents of the neighborhood were able to get involved in dialogue events. Due to this close involvement, the different needs could be picked up and taken into account.

The main points of the development concept
The development concept makes specifications for the location of buildings and the district park and defines overriding principles for the desired urban planning and urban spatial qualities. This includes, for example, the integration and networking in the quarter, the provision of open spaces and possible uses.

After the city council has approved the development concept, the planning phase begins with an architectural competition, construction project and referendum.
The construction work should be completed by 2032 and the new uses on the Josef site should be ready for occupancy.

July 2022
New construction of the sports center in Witikon

The multi-sports sports facility Witikon from the 1970s has developed into a frequently used training ground and venue for competitions. In order to meet the strong demand from sports clubs, a new building with a triple sports hall, cloakroom, audience and care infrastructure for the neighboring Looren school complex is to be built in the south-western part of the site by 2027. The project competition for general planners in the open process has ended. The team from Bur Architekten AG and Kuhn Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH from Zurich won with their “Diego” project. According to the competition program, construction costs of CHF 52.5 million are expected for the new replacement building of the sports center (BKP 1-9, excl. reserves). The cost accuracy in the competition phase is +/- 25 percent.

New sports infrastructure for Witikon
The winning project convinced the jury with its stringent ecological attitude, which reduces the excavation and thus the balance of greenhouse gas emissions of the new building to an exemplary minimum. To this end, the majority of the spatial program is accommodated above ground in a high timber construction with a small footprint, including the triple sports hall on the 2nd floor. As a result, the sports facility benefits from daylight on all sides and is accessible and visible. On the ground floor are the public sports cloakrooms for the runners, the public sports bar, which can also be used as a canteen, and the separate care facilities for the students of the Looren school complex. The two existing bridges over the Stöckentobelbach ensure short and clear connections between the school area and the new day care in the sports center. The cloakrooms for those using the outdoor sports fields are located on the first floor and can be reached directly via four outside stairs and a surrounding arcade. The space in the basement, which is kept to a minimum, is used for the building services and for a water cistern, which is used to irrigate the playing fields in a circular manner.

Attractive outdoor spaces for athletes and local residents
On the south side of the new sports center, an entrance square with shady trees forms an attractive prelude to the new facility. The outdoor sports fields, which are slightly shifted and twisted in relation to one another, divide the area in such a way that a network-like system of paths is created that fits harmoniously into the landscape. The paved areas are limited to the absolute minimum. Furthermore, this sustainable project is characterized by large photovoltaic surfaces on the facade and on the roof and a clever summer heat protection through clever night-time cooling as well as a concept for the implementation of the sponge city principle.

competition exhibition
Saturday, July 9th to Monday, July 18th, 2022 in the Werd exhibition space, Morgartenstrasse 40, 8004 Zurich. Opening times: Mon to Fri 4 to 8 p.m.; Sat and Sun 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

July 2022
Werkarena Basel: NOMEN EST OMEN

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In spring 2022, the commercial area on Neudorfstrasse in Basel’s St. Johann district came to life with the first companies moving in. Before that, in November 2021, a public kick-off event took place in the premises, which were still in the basic construction at the time: around 60 representatives from politics and business took part in the event and were enthusiastic. However, it took a while for that to happen. After the government council granted the building permit in 2013, the architecture team led by Markus Kägi and Thomas Schnabel won the 2014 competition put out by the municipality. The municipal trade association was involved as a partner in the processes right from the start, and the relevant companies were supposed to appear together as investors. But this plan didn’t work out. Invited project developers were able to present their ideas. Steiner AG prevailed against well-known competitors. Construction work on the factory arena began in 2019, and the shell was completed in March 2021.

An appeal to the future
The triangular, 4316 square meter lot of the business park is located in the north of Basel and directly on the French-Swiss border with St. Louis. The Rhine flows further to the east. The port of St. Johann existed there until 2009, which was then transformed into a waterfront promenade. It showed that industry has a long tradition in the district of the same name. Today, however, ship traffic no longer dominates and the newly settled sectors are more colourful: in the immediate vicinity of Neudorfstrasse there is sometimes the gambling industry or a hotel, but also the premises of a meat and poultry producer or the customs office. The location is ideal for high-emission traders. They have increasingly left the city in recent years because their noisy productions were no longer tolerated in many places. Now they are benefiting again, also in other areas: In addition to the connections to Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport and the St. Johann through station, the motorway makes trinational long-distance traffic possible. Finally, a fast connection to Basel city center is guaranteed from the Werkarena by car, bus and soon also by tram. The building has a total of 244 parking spaces for employees and visitors.

Architecture with silent references
The architectural appearance of the Werkarena is reminiscent of Erich Mendelsohn’s (1887–1953) department store Schocken in Chemnitz, which was completed in 1930. This example of new building caused a sensation at the time as a kind of horizontally layered composition with careful materialization. The structure of the façade of the Werkarena is only broken up towards Neudorfstrasse on the first three floors. The ground floor and first floor have 10 meter wide galleries that can be driven on. These floors are particularly suitable for commercial companies with a large logistics or production share. The connection to the outside space, i.e. to the street, is provided here intelligently and across floors by the element of the ramp. With a room height of 3.47 to 4.37 meters, they stand out visually from the other four floors, which are 2.95 and 3 meters high. At the same time, they give the building volume a visually refreshing depth. There, the pillars, which are arranged at regular intervals, also set a vertical counterpoint to the horizontal rows of windows from the third floor upwards.

No marketplace of vanities
With a usable area of 19,300 square meters, the business park is intended to appeal to small and medium-sized companies. Various tenants are already on board and will move into the complex with their offices after completion. They should benefit from each other through the direct proximity and thus also from the vision of the Werkarena – the focus is on a so-called ecosystem, i.e. close (technical) cooperation between the various companies, the use of synergies and a transfer of know-how. Nathalia Szydlowski, Managing Director of Tandemworks GmbH, was enthusiastic at the kick-off event in November 2021: Her company started as a start-up and has now established itself in the construction industry. This rise also has something to do with co-working spaces, because the existing infrastructure and all the accompanying programs have always allowed her to concentrate on her core business. Now Nathalia Szydlowski wants to continue her success story in the Werkarena – this also offers services such as telephone and postal services and various shared facilities, such as office, meeting and conference rooms or catering areas that can be used collectively. Stefan Gabriel, who heads the development team at Steiner AG in Basel, adds: “Right from the start, our concept was aimed at developing a flexible and site-specific product for the highly competitive Basel commercial and office market.”

July 2022
Bühler builds technology center for milling in Uzwil

Bühler is replacing its old application center at the Uzwil site, which dates back to the 1950s, with a new one. From 2024, Bühler intends to work with its customers and partners to develop, test and scale sustainable and efficient solutions for grain and animal feed processing in the new Grain Innovation Center. The technology company from the St.GallenBodenseeArea is investing a double-digit million amount for this.

Among other things, the new building will offer an integrated cleaning and grinding process for all types of grain, a feed grinding process for all types of compound feed and a research and development department. According to the information, the old building no longer meets the requirements for a future-oriented and safe environment for customer-specific tests and developments.

In addition, the machines, processes and a modern teaching infrastructure for digital and on-site customer training are to be housed there. The training center will be attached to the existing Application & Training Center, the Cubic Innovation Campus inaugurated in 2018, the Bühler Energy Center and the recently announced Protein Application Center, which is still to be built.

“All new developments will come from the new Grain Innovation Center. Bühler will continue to keep this important part of its research in Uzwil,” Peter Striegl, Head of Innovation Milling Solutions, is quoted as saying.

July 2022
The Circle: Switzerland's largest Minergie building certified

Minergie and LEED certification has been an integral part of planning and construction at the Circle for 12 years. In the presence of Christian Appert, CEO Amstein + Walthert AG, Martin Kull, CEO and owner HRS Real Estate AG, Daniel Scheifele, Chief Real Estate Officer, Flughafen Zürich AG, Giorgio Engeli, Head Real Estate Portfolio Management Switzerland, Swiss Life Asset Managers, and Stefan Feldmann, Head The Circle, Flughafen Zürich AG, the team around The Circle celebrated on Monday, June 27, 2022, the goal they have now achieved.

Beautiful, functional, climate-optimized
With a good 200,000 m ² energy reference area, the circle accounted for 6% of the certified Minergie area in the year of provisional certification, but was only one of around 1,900 buildings. This shows the size and importance of this extraordinary building in the Swiss context. The Circle is the largest Minergie-certified building in Switzerland. According to government councilor Marc Mächler, the Minergie certificate means that – in addition to all other requirements and uses – the building is also climate-optimized. Climate-optimized means «that this building does not accelerate climate change and that it uses resources carefully. It is efficient and works almost entirely with renewable energy instead of fossil energy.” 

Thanks to intensive cooperation between the Minergie certification body and those responsible for the circle, the high requirements of the Minergie quality label for the building envelope and ventilation could also be met. Andreas Meyer Primavesi, Managing Director of Minergie, is pleased that the result ultimately benefits everyone: “Especially with today’s energy prices, every kilowatt hour of energy saved is worth it – not only for the climate, but also financially”.

Into the net-zero energy future
With the leading Swiss building label Minergie, more than 12 million tons of CO ₂ and 67 million megawatt hours of energy have been saved since 1998 thanks to over 53,000 Minergie buildings compared to the minimum legal requirements. Minergie certifies around 3 million m ² of energy reference area per year. In close coordination with the cantons, Minergie always leads the way and is therefore a pioneer in cantonal energy laws. This interaction has worked since the beginning and continues successfully. Minergie is currently looking very closely at the energy used and the greenhouse gas emissions in the construction of a building. And secondly, Minergie is striving to improve the operating phase: Extensive, digitized building data is used to measure the energy flows during operation in order to then carry out operational optimization where necessary on the basis of the monitoring. For years, fossil-free operation – even with modernization – Minergie is moving more and more towards net zero. The Minergie-A-ECO standard comes closest to the Swiss net-zero building.

July 2022
Jaisli-Xamax completes work on Confiserie Speck

Jaisli-Xamax has completed the work on the electrical installation at the new production site of the traditional company Confiserie Speck . The confectionery remains in Zug, but moves to the Göbli area. There will be over 3,000 new jobs there in the future, which makes the area very attractive, confectionery owner Peter Speck is quoted as saying in a media release by Jaisli-Xamax. In a short interview published there, Speck emphasizes the special features of the electrical installation brought in by the Dietiker company. “We wanted to optimize the production process and make it as sustainable as possible. We are able to do this thanks to the cooperation with the Multi-Energy-Hub, which combines local energy sources into a CO2-neutral overall energy system with a maximum degree of self-sufficiency,” Peter Speck is quoted as saying.

In addition, one wants to bring visitors closer to the craft in the confectionery. This is achieved by looking into the well-lit production hall, which is also called the “aquarium”.

The new Confiserie Speck location is more than just a production hall. In addition to the bakery, there are also offices, apartments, a café and a shop at the new location.

The electrical manufacturer Jaisli-Xamax from Dietikon only opened a new branch in Zug in 2021. The company, which has been active in the entire electrical sector for over 50 years and specializes in innovative solutions, now has offices in Basel, Bern and Zug in addition to its headquarters in Dietikon. Jaisli-Xamax AG employs a total of around 400 people.

June 2022
Swisspor is building in Reiden

Swisspor wants to set up a production plant for mineral insulating materials and a service center in Reiden Mehlsecken. The internationally active company based in Stans has secured the area of 200,000 square meters designated by the canton of Lucerne as a strategic work area, according to the Lucerne State Chancellery in a press release . The establishment of a building and environmental technology cluster planned by swisspor is supported by the canton of Lucerne and the municipality of Reiden .

swisspor will use 145,000 square meters of the total area of the site for its own facilities. The remaining area is reserved for research institutions and other companies active in the field of building and environmental technology. The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts wants to expand its existing cooperation with swisspor in Reiden Mehlsecken.

In addition, other industry-related companies and research partners are to be recruited. The coordination for this was taken over by the Switzerland Innovation Park Central , according to the statement. The Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ) was also addressed.

“We support the creation of a building and environmental technology cluster with swisspor and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts,” government councilor Fabian Peter is quoted as saying in the statement. The head of the construction, environment and economic department sees a double opportunity for the region and canton: “On the one hand, jobs, innovation and value creation are created and on the other hand, the cluster makes a contribution to achieving our climate goals”.

June 2022
At home close to nature

Attention: In Niederweningen, 36 child-friendly terraced single-family houses with 4.5 and 5.5 rooms are being built on a plot of around 11,000 m². You have your own private garden, and the 21 spacious apartments in condominium ownership with 1.5, 3.5 and 4.5 rooms have a covered outdoor area or garden. The settlement is traffic-free and may only be entered in exceptional cases. An underground car park with direct access to the corresponding residential units and above-ground visitor parking spaces complete the unique living experience: “The sweet life moves into the Gupfengarten and a relaxing and carefree retreat is offered,” says Alexandra Schlegel, who is responsible for marketing this project at Steiner AG responsible for. “In terms of size and price, the project is perfectly tailored to young families and couples who want to fulfill their dream of owning their own home and prefer the charming village life to the big city.”

The Gupfengarten is located in a quiet residential area on a slight slope in the southern part of Niederweningen. The colorful and local architecture characterizes the likeable character of this project and radiates a relaxed homeliness: “The project impresses with its individuality and personality, because here you can help determine the expansion and interior with the online configurator. From our carefully coordinated and harmonious range of materials and colors you can put together your very own combination according to your individual wishes. We have already selected four well-balanced and characterful designs for you as a suggestion – let yourself be inspired and simply use the configurator on our website www.gupfengarten.ch.»

Sustainability is a top priority in the Gupfengarten: the heat generation is almost entirely covered by renewable energy using a heat pump and geothermal probes as well as a photovoltaic system. In addition, an integral energy management system ensures an efficient and intelligent energy solution. The building shell is made of wood and achieves optimal thermal insulation values. The idea of sustainability is further implemented through the use of wood as a CO2-neutral and naturally renewable raw material. Living with a feel-good factor of 100, so to speak.

June 2022
Metro Campus: New data center in Dielsdorf

Three high-performance data centers and modern office buildings are being built on an area of 46,000 m2 on the Zurich Metro campus. The campus is embedded in a natural green area and should offer all the services that characterize a leading data hub: A modern, certified data location, comprehensive networking and access to a complete cloud ecosystem. The Metro Campus wants to network IT infrastructures in the shortest possible way and ensure that companies, cloud providers and IT companies come together with their solutions. The data centers are designed for national and international companies from all sectors as well as for cloud providers and technology companies.

All buildings are planned with four floors. The building shell of the data center is to be implemented as a sandwich panel system with expanded metal cladding as the outermost layer. The material of the buildings should reflect their technical content and enable an optimal interaction with the building technology. Glass facades are planned for the office buildings in the area. The roofs and parts of the glass facade are equipped with photovoltaic systems.

Architecture, room design, technologies and systems are precisely coordinated and designed for maximum energy efficiency. Free cooling with cold ambient air minimizes the need for cooling and the use of waste heat via the initiated thermal network and contributes to sustainability. In the future, apartments and industrial companies in the region, as well as the office buildings on campus, can be heated with the waste heat from the data center.

The Zurich Metro Campus is being built in several stages. The first of three data centers is currently being fitted out. The first major customers are expected to move in in the third quarter of 2022. Further buildings are to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2022 and from 2024 onwards.

June 2022
The Hönggerberg campus of ETH Zurich is being further developed

ETH Zurich comprises two main locations. One of them is the “Campus Hönggerberg”, which was originally created as an outdoor location in the local recreation area of the Käferberg. Today, almost half of all ETH members study and work here. ETH Zurich expects further growth in student numbers over the next few years. The main location “Campus Zentrum” in the city of Zurich can only be expanded to a limited extent due to the historical district and city structures. For this reason, ETH Zurich is concentrating on the “Hoenggerberg campus” when planning the space it will need in the future. In the coming decades, this is to be further developed extensively.

Together with the city and canton of Zurich, ETH Zurich developed the master plan Campus Hönggerberg 2040. This builds on the master plan of 2005 called Science City. The idea of a ring road around the campus as well as the development into a city district with offers for ETH members and visitors is being pursued further. An urban appearance with varying heights as well as gardens and squares is planned. In order to protect the environment, the campus will not be expanded in the direction of the surrounding quarters or the recreation zone, but will be compressed inwards and upwards.

ETH Zurich attaches great importance to sustainability: In the future, the energy supply should be without fossil fuels. The energy network is being expanded for this purpose. On the side of the adjoining quarters Affoltern and Höngg, a portal building with public-oriented offers is to be built at both campus entrances. Along the central Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse, two more high-rise buildings are planned, which will offer space for teaching and research. In addition, this street is to be developed into a lively, green promenade with a range of ground floor uses. According to the study contract, this redesign allows the needs such as urban planning, traffic, open space, lighting as well as retention and drainage to be taken into account.

The existing open and green spaces will be upgraded and expanded. A new garden is planned for the central square. The development of sustainable means of transport and the expansion of bicycle connections are also planned. The credo is: We only build if there is a need for it on the part of teaching and research.

June 2022
Dancing windows in circle 7

A total of 16 apartments, 2 offices and an underground car park with 19 parking spaces will be built in a very good location by the end of the 2nd quarter of 2023 – you can be at Bellevue in a good 20 minutes by public transport – at Witikonerstrasse 400 in Stadtzürcher Kreis 7. For the 1341 square meters A multi-family house with four floors is planned for the comprehensive plot area. Seven 2.5 and nine 3.5 room apartments with areas of 66 to 130 square meters are planned. In addition, two offices of 45.8 square meters each will be built. The energy is supplied by geothermal energy.

With its “dancing windows”, the woman from Graubünden will create a landmark for District 7. The architect was already able to impress with these windows with the “Solitaire” high-rise building in Horw, Lucerne. They are characterized by their irregular arrangement – yet they create harmony and offer the residents a view of the outside from every position. Theus has already completed many prestigious construction projects, including Bank Leu on Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse, the headquarters of World Football Association “Home of FIFA” on the Zürichberg and the five-star hotel “Widder” in Zurich.

The Quartier Witikon – which is often called the “Quartier on the horizon” – forms district 7 together with Fluntern, Hottingen and Hirslanden. The house with the “dancing windows” is not far from the “Berghaldenstrasse” bus stop – in the immediate vicinity of the local recreation area of the Elefantenbach. The “Looren” sports facility with tennis and football pitches and the center of Witikon with service providers and shops are also within walking distance.

The residents of Witikon benefit from the south-facing altitude on the slopes of the Adlisberg and Oetlisberg. This brings the quarter little fog and lots of sun as well as a great view. When the weather is nice, the Glarner, Urner and Berner Alps with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau can be seen.

The LIKA Group AG as total contractor implements the projects with well thought-out processes and thus ensures the high quality standards. Working with qualified architects is essential for the broad portfolio. (see likagroup.ch).

June 2022
New quarters on the Koch site

In 2013, the city of Zurich bought the Koch site at the intersection of Albisrieden and Altstetten, which had been occupied since March of the same year. In 2017, the city, together with the Zurich section of the Swiss Association of Housing Cooperatives and the consulting firm Wüst Partner, launched a concept call for tenders for the planned district. The team application of the Allgemeine Baugenossenschaft Zürich (ABZ) and Kraftwerk1 cooperatives together with the real estate developer SENN were awarded the contract.

From 2025 at the earliest, around 330 non-profit apartments for around 900 residents will be built here. In addition, generous commercial areas and a neighborhood park are planned. Grün Stadt Zürich is responsible for the park, while the two Zurich cooperatives ABZ and Kraftwerk1 and the real estate developer SENN take over the land in building rights. In the Koch district, new visions of living and working together are to be implemented and a significant contribution to the 2000-watt society is to be made.

The family company Senn is planning the commercial building called MACH, which is characterized by oversized rooms, high payloads and plenty of design freedom. The installation of gallery floors can be freely selected and ensures a high degree of flexibility. In the MACH, not only commercial and production companies are planned on 10,000 m2 of mostly double-height rental space, but also trading and service companies as well as educational and leisure facilities. Particular attention is paid to sustainability through the high adaptability, the wooden element facade, PV system, rainwater use and the vertical greening.

The Allgemeine Baugenossenschaft Zurich is building a three-part building complex with 204 apartments. This consists of an approximately 85-meter-high high-rise on Flurstrasse and an eight-story row of buildings in the Quartierpark. A mix of 2 to 5.5 room apartments is being built here. A garden of 1830 m2 and a community pavilion are planned on the 1st floor. Photovoltaic systems are installed on the roofs. The ground floor is used for various commercial and community rooms as well as a supermarket.

Living, business and culture are combined in the compact building of the building and housing cooperative Kraftwerk1. In addition to apartments, gastronomy, kindergarten and after-school care as well as the circus district with the circus Chnopf should invite the neighborhood to linger. A staircase leads from the park to the 1650 m2 terrace on the first floor. 125 apartments are planned, one third of the living space will be rented in subsidized housing. The intensively green roof serves as a place of retreat for the residents. The settlement is planned car-free and will be particularly sustainable thanks to a wood-concrete hybrid construction, photovoltaic systems and rainwater retention.

The 12,000 m2 district park will be the green heart of the new Koch district. Grün Stadt Zürich is implementing the wishes of the population with the park: many trees, biodiverse, playful – and for everyone. Planned are an open, spacious meadow and a “jardin sauvage” designed to be close to nature. Thanks to the former 2700 m2 coal storage hall, there is also an area that allows people to stay even in bad weather. Wherever possible, the material already available on site is reused: old paving slabs, for example, are turned into a dry biotope for lizards or a place to sit for guests.

A wide range of cultural offers and forms of living, trade and services will find a new home in the compact building of Kraftwerk1.

June 2022
Learn better in the new replacement building

In order to construct a new replacement building of convincing architectural quality in a transforming quarter, the building department of the canton of Zurich, represented by the building department, organized a one-stage project competition in an open procedure on behalf of the canton’s real estate department. Gunz & Künzle Architects from Zurich convinced the jury with their contribution and were commissioned with the project planning.

The slender building is located directly on Limmatstrasse between Klingenpark and a new, spacious courtyard towards the quarter. The high, covered outdoor spaces lead from the opposite corners of the building to the center of the building, where the entrance to the vocational school is located in a wide passage. Various paths around and through the building connect the vocational training mile with the main train station and the district. Spatial relationships are created between the blade park and the new schoolyard. The building is organized simply and efficiently. From the entrance at street level, the path leads down to the sports facilities. On the 1st floor are the school’s public uses such as the multi-purpose room, the lounge, the media center, the administration and the workshop, a room for exhibitions and events that can be used flexibly. On the three floors above, a contemporary learning environment is being created on the basis of a classroom.

The new BBZ replacement building is sustainable and meets the Minergie-P-ECO standard. In addition, it is the first educational building in Switzerland with the 2.1 building construction certification of the Swiss Sustainable Building Standard (SNBS). Large windows with parapets in the classrooms ensure good natural lighting. Together with the external sun protection, it ensures a pleasant indoor climate all year round. Controlled ventilation reduces heat loss. The economically and ecologically sensible separation of the systems and components is consistently implemented. The simple expandability and retrofitting of the structure meets the requirements of the Minergie-P-ECO label. Likewise, the careful selection of building materials from the point of view of low environmental impact and sustainable use of raw materials. In the outdoor area, native plant species promote biodiversity. Seen in this way, the BBZ future can begin.

June 2022
The Settlers of Guldisloo

The Guldisloo area is easily accessible between the two centers of Unterwetzikon and Oberwetzikon. The closeness to nature, in particular the farsightedness at this slightly elevated and central location, characterizes the location in particular. The planned residential development with 22 owner-occupied units is attached to the small-grained single-family house district along the ring road and forms the southern end of the Ringetshalden free zone.

The basic idea of the design includes an optimal embedding of the buildings in the existing neighborhood structure and the green environment. The available building mass is distributed over four similarly sized, free-standing main buildings. As a result, the new buildings appear compact and, with short facades, can react optimally to their small-scale counterparts. The setting of the volumes takes into account the existing visual relationships of the quarter and allows maximum views towards the free zone and a distant view of the Alps. All squares and meeting zones are open to the Quartierstrasse and invite instead of being closed off. The new housing estate is given a uniform expression by plastered surfaces in a warm beige tone, which avoids a striking contrast to the built environment and instead blends gently into the existing structure.

According to the energy plan of the city of Wetzikon, the project area belongs to the area that is developed with gas. However, the project area is also referred to as a zone with low building density, and a withdrawal of the gas network from these areas is conceivable in the future. No heating network is planned on the project area, and the heating network of the ARA Flos is not to be extended to include the project site. On the other hand, the project area is very well suited for geothermal probes. There is no gravel groundwater to be expected, the rock of the upper freshwater molasse is already expected at less than 25 m and extends to a depth of approx. 350 m Geothermal probe heat pumps can be realized.

The view at a glance.

June 2022
Art students cooperate with the building department

In cooperation with the canton of Zurich’s structural engineering department , fine arts students from the Zurich University of the Arts ( ZHdK ) have designed works of art on sports halls and a drainage aqueduct. The ZHdK announced in a press release that the results will be on display until February 27, 2023 under the title Aqueous Transmissions in the industrial district around the Klingenpark in Zurich. The vernissage will take place there on July 12th.

The building department specifically addressed its tender for art in the building near the sports halls to ZHdK fine arts students at Master’s level. The three provisional sports halls of the canton schools Freudenberg/Enge, Uetikon am See and the Irchel campus of the University of Zurich were available. “The aim was to develop a work of art at, in and around the building at each location, which underlines the young, fresh and sporty character of the place.”

The result was a total of 17 projects, from which a jury selected three. These include the works Higher Goals by Gregor Vogel for the Irchel campus, Community Show by Julia Nusser and Tereza Glazova for the Uetikon am See canton school and Bouncing Balls by Otto Szabo and Cristian Zabalaga for the Freudenberg and Enge canton schools. They deal with themes such as minority, identity, sexuality and vulnerability as well as the moment when a sports ball hits a wall.

Another eight works of art by bachelor students were created in connection with a temporary drainage aqueduct that was built for the replacement building of the construction trades school on Limmatstrasse. They can all be seen during the installation period until February 27, 2023 as an urban art parcours through the district around the Klingenpark.

June 2022
Effretikon has big plans

The town of Illnau-Effretikon, which is located on the Zurich-Winterthur transport axis and has around 17,500 inhabitants, has big plans: after a planning phase lasting several years, the groundbreaking ceremony for the development of the center in Effretikon took place in 2022.

The basis for this is formed by the master plans “Central development of the West Station” and “Area development of the East Station”. These provide for a densification through the mixed use of apartments and commercial space and are intended to strengthen Effretikon’s function as a regional center.

With around 750 new residential units and 20,000 square meters for offices and public-facing businesses, living space and work space are being created in the immediate vicinity of the easily accessible and highly frequented train station. Among other things, this is intended to achieve the goals set out in the urban development model for increasing the number of jobs and the population. The private development projects are supplemented with public buildings such as the new city garden and smaller squares and contribute to increasing the quality of life in the center. In addition, local public transport will be optimized with the relocation and new construction of the bus station.

In a first stage, the concretely planned or already approved construction projects Rütlihof, Rütlistrasse, Rosenhof, Rosenweg including bus station, station square and city garden will be realized by 2027. In a second stage, the conversion of the Effimärt shopping center and the development of the Hinterbüel area are to take place. Most of the center development is expected to be completed by 2030.

The builders include the Bereuter Group, Mettler2Invest, R. Fuchs Partner AG / Trade Tool AG, the OASE Group, the Zurich Investment Foundation, Habitat 8000 AG and the city of Illnau-Effretikon. Siska Immobilien AG is responsible for the Effimärt shopping center.

Parallel to the structural development, the city intends to revitalize the center in Effretikon with various measures. An attractive offer of the public-oriented trade should, in connection with the above-mentioned public lounge areas, also encourage more people from outside to spend their time in Effretikon. Together with the new residential and commercial areas, the shops are likely to benefit from higher consumer potential in the future.

This is what the center of Effretikon could look like in a few years: after several years of planning, the first construction work has begun.

June 2022
Innovation at the Dübendorf airfield

The airfield area in Dübendorf is to be developed further. Among other things, a new platform for research, development and innovation is being created here with the Zurich Innovation Park. It is intended to promote cooperation and exchange between science and business – and thus support the implementation of research results in marketable products and services. According to the BAK study, the Zurich Innovation Park should create around 10,000 jobs and an annual added value of around CHF 1.9 billion.

The Zurich Innovation Park Foundation is responsible for setting up and running it. It was founded in September 2015 by the Canton of Zurich, ETH Zurich and ZKB. The canton of Zurich, the three local communities of Dübendorf, Volketswil and Wangen-Brüttisellen and the federal government are developing the area together.

The jointly developed synthesis report of the project partners forms the basis for the development of the area. This also shows how the Dübendorf airfield area should be presented overall in the future, which uses are planned and how these are spatially distributed. The area will be divided into four sub-areas:

A first area is reserved for the Zurich Innovation Park, in which research is to be carried out in particular in the areas of mobility, robotics, aviation, space travel and advanced manufacturing & materials. In the second sub-area, the innovation park and a research, test and works airfield overlap to form an aviation cluster. In the third sub-area, the uses with high security requirements – the federal base of the Air Force and the Skyguide air traffic control center – can be further developed independently. In the fourth sub-area there are further aviation infrastructures. Nature conservation also plays a central role there. A continuous circular route around the airfield will also be created for the general public.

The government council submitted three proposals to the cantonal council for further planning and implementation work. The cantonal government is requesting 97.45 million francs for the gradual development of the innovation park and 8.2 million francs for the planning of a research, test and works airfield.

The cantonal council could decide on these templates by 2023. Renovation of the existing buildings is planned from 2023. Then the first building applications should be submitted. The implementation of the first buildings could therefore start from around 2024/2025.

The Zurich Innovation Park aims to promote cooperation and exchange between science and business.

June 2022
New NEST unit sprint: demolition, departure, breakthrough

The new NEST unit Sprint offers 200 square meters of office space made mostly from reused materials and components. Partitions made of different materials that can be flexibly removed divide the office unit into twelve individual offices. The unit was built on the lowest platform of the NEST building, the research and innovation platform of Empa and Eawag. It took only ten months from the ground-breaking ceremony to the opening.

The entire sprint unit follows the “Design for Disassembly” approach. Their design already takes dismantling into account, and their construction facilitates future modifications and dismantling to recover components and materials. In this way, the premises can be efficiently transferred to another cycle at the end of their service life.

The sprint unit wants to find solutions that are as universal as possible and thus simplify the reuse of building materials. The project is a collaboration between various actors from research, business and the public sector. During the construction and subsequent use of Sprint, the opportunities and challenges of the reuse process are continuously documented and compiled – with the aim of making the construction more marketable. The sprint unit shows that building with reused materials and components is a viable alternative to building with new material that meets the market requirements for flexible and fast building.

Building with reused materials is a step-by-step approach – the issue of available materials runs through the whole process. This requires, among other things, a rethinking of planning and execution, a flexible schedule and flexibility in design. For example, the material found also determines the final design. Sprint shows “that reused material is by no means a hurdle for the design, but that creativity can be used to achieve design elements that you would not have originally thought of,” says Oliver Seidel, architect and member of the management board at baubüro in situ AG. An example are the different partition walls. Some are built from scrap bricks, some from old books, and still others from old carpet.

The reuse of materials is not necessarily cheaper in today’s market situation. However, Seidel is convinced: “As soon as a competitive market with reused materials and components has been established, there will also be cost advantages with reuse.” In addition, certain reused materials such as natural stone or automatically closing fire protection doors would suddenly become affordable, in contrast to the same components made of new material.

One of the office partitions in the sprint unit is made of bricks that would actually have ended up as waste in the landfill.

The sprint unit was completed in just ten months – re-use does not necessarily have to have an impact on the construction time.

June 2022