immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Category: Projects

  • Eye-catcher on Lake Zurich

    Eye-catcher on Lake Zurich

    With the winning project from CF Møller Architects resulting from the study, a modern and representative office building is being created. It is consistently oriented towards the lake and the lake promenade. Most noticeable are the storey-high glass surfaces and the canopies, which will be equipped with photovoltaic modules. The building will also meet high energy requirements, which is underlined by the desired LEED Platinum label. After the various requirements from the building permit have been met and the building permit has been received, the dismantling and renovation work is currently taking place. Since the property was built in 1974, the work also includes the professional disposal of asbestos-containing materials. A task that is demanding and time-consuming. A special challenge in the construction
    ruktion is also the merging of the different design of the finishing details of the terrace and parapet. And last but not least, the construction site is in the inner-city area, which also brings logistical challenges with it.

    Basic renovation
    Bellerivestrasse 36 is a reference property for Allreal, as on the one hand it meets high standards in the field of sustainable building. This is evidenced by the desired LEED Platinum label. the
    PV systems will also help to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels in the company’s portfolio of investment properties. Allreal wants to halve the proportion of fossil fuels in its portfolio by 2030. On the other hand, Bellerivestrasse 36 is also an example of Allreal’s business model. The property was operated as an investment property until the end of last year. When the anchor tenant moved out, it was possible to fundamentally renovate the building. In-house project development then carried out a study contract, then specified CF Møller’s winning project and made it ready for construction. The Realization division is currently implementing the project. From summer 2023, the property will then be occupied by the new tenants and reintegrated into the portfolio of investment properties and managed by Allreal. The company thus covers the entire value creation process from a single source.

    After: This is how the building should look after the renovation.

    Lots of flexibility
    “In addition to the exclusive location directly on Lake Zurich and the collaboration with a foreign architect, the high quality of materials and details of the components used are extremely attractive,” says project manager Alain Granwehr from Allreal. “The facade in particular, with its protruding canopies and the photovoltaic elements mounted on it, is a challenge in the construction process”. The pandemic is changing user needs. A clear picture is not yet emerging. At the moment, many customers are still unsure which long-term changes will prevail in connection with the demands on the workplace, says Allreal on request. However, the company has not noticed any decline in demand, particularly for properties in very good locations. The property at Bellerivestrasse 36 will also benefit from this. In addition, once the modernization has been completed, the commercial building will be able to be operated as a multi-tenant property and thus offers a great deal of flexibility.

  • Let there be light

    Let there be light

    Together with the Seefeld school complex, the Mühlebach school complex forms the Riesbach school unit. In order to cover part of the increased demand for classrooms expected in the Zürichberg school district in the long term, the Mühlebach school complex needs to be repaired and expanded. The range of school rooms is to be expanded to include two kindergarten and six primary school classes in day school by 2025. The completion of the repair and expansion work is planned for 2025.

    The Mühlebach schoolhouse and the sports hall were built by Adolf and Fritz Brunner in 1876 and 1880, respectively. In 1950 Otto Dürr connected the school building and the sports hall with an intermediate building. The school complex is listed in the municipal inventory of monument and garden monument preservation. Comprehensive repairs were last carried out in 1981. The school house and the sports hall are in need of repair today.

    The winning project “Lichtung” is convincing on several levels. The urban unbundling of the two buildings brings a high added value for the ensemble, which is worthy of protection, as well as for the surrounding area and strengthens the permeability of the area. With the partial dismantling of the intermediate building, the winning project creates an open atmosphere and re-establishes important pathways and visual connections between the outside spaces. A small roof for breaks will be added over the connection between the school building and the sports hall. All uses such as primary school, kindergarten, childcare and sports are now clearly separated and accessible.

  • Millions for the Grossmünster

    Millions for the Grossmünster

    The Grossmünster Church in the old town of Zurich was built between 1100 and 1220. Together with the Fraumünster and St. Peter’s Church, it is one of the most famous churches in the city, and its twin towers are a symbol of Zurich. The name “Grossmünster” comes from the 14th century. Originally, the church was simply referred to in the documents as “Zurich Church” (Turicina ecclesia). In 1272 the “Münster” appeared for the first time under the name Monasterium praepositurae Thuricensis. Monasterium, German Münster, is the Latin name for monastery. “Grossmünster” appears for the first time in 1322, probably to distinguish it from the smaller Fraumünster.

    The Grossmünster is and will remain one of the landmarks of the city of Zurich.

    Every year the Grossmünster has around half a million visitors from all over the world. In addition to church services and other religious celebrations, there are also regular events and guided tours. Numerous repairs are due in the next few years. The aim is to preserve the valuable medieval building fabric and the effect of the cultural asset in the long term. This requires measures to regulate the indoor climate so that the decay processes slow down as much as possible. The protection of cultural property should also be improved.
    Because the operational requirements have increased due to the great tourist importance of the Great Minster and the use has changed, targeted adjustments to the infrastructure are required in order to enable safe and adequate operation. For this purpose, for example, visitor guidance and personal safety are to be optimized. Furthermore, toilet facilities and warehouses are to be adapted to today’s needs and regulations. As a result of all the measures, the technical building installations, which are also to be improved, are also affected. In addition, the project creates the necessary basis for continuous monitoring.

    Look into the hallowed halls.

    The individual measures have yet to be defined in detail. The processing of all topics in a comprehensive project ensures that the different needs and requirements are processed in a coordinated manner. As part of the upcoming preliminary study, the overall project is defined and concepts for implementation are developed. The implementation takes place in staggered sub-projects. The government council has approved a preliminary study loan of around 2.5 million francs and a credit line of around 32.5 million francs as a tied expense for the entire project. The plan is to carry out the first work in 2022. Completion is scheduled for 2028.

  • From office building to residential building

    From office building to residential building

    The office building with the plate facade from 1992 has been empty since the beginning of January. The five-story building was last used by artists from the Lemon Association. Mobimo decided to convert and build a new property at Im Tiergarten 7 in Zurich-Friesenberg: “We already own a commercial property with the neighboring building,” says Daniel Garcia, the project manager in charge at Mobimo. In addition, there is great demand for apartments in the city of Zurich. “The conversion was therefore obvious,” explains Garcia.

    59 rental apartments in the medium price segment are to be built here by 2022. The architecture contract went to Theo Hotz Partner Architects: “With this architecture office we have found a partner who optimally embeds the property in the surroundings and does not make it look like a foreign body. Architectural details that reflect Mobimo’s values in the context of sustainable construction were incorporated into the project, ”says Garcia.

    Visualization of the stairwell.

    The architectural office has planned a free-standing, triangular block of flats that will form an urban hinge between the neighboring Friesenberg office building and the surrounding residential area. The 1.5 to 4.5 room apartments are intended for singles, families and senior citizens. The energy concept provides for central heat generation by means of a heat pump and the use of waste heat from the cooling network of the data center in the neighboring building.

    Mobimo commissioned W. Schmid AG as total contractor for the new building. The owner is spending around 49 million francs on the new project. The first occupancy is planned for December 1, 2022.

  • Hardau I is being rebuilt for 71 million francs

    Hardau I is being rebuilt for 71 million francs

    The aging Hardau I housing estate is located between Hardstrasse and the striking residential towers of Hardau II. It has existed since 1964 and was designed by the architect Eberhard Eidenbenz. Today’s 80 apartments are small-scale with a modest standard of fit-out. Noise protection, energy efficiency and accessibility leave a lot to be desired. Since the area has potential to be used and more family apartments can be built as a result, the City of Zurich has decided to replace it.

    In 2018, the Office for Buildings of the City of Zurich selected the winning project by means of an architecture competition: Graber Pulver Architekten AG won over the jury with their “Laurel & Hardy” project. Two structures of different shapes and heights are planned. The six-storey courtyard building is clearly separated from the Hardau park. A seven-storey building block complements the existing block edge along Hardstrasse. Most of the apartments in the courtyard are oriented on three sides.

    122 predominantly spacious rental apartments are planned for residents with low to medium incomes. Single rooms, studios and music practice rooms can be rented individually. Areas for services and a personal registration office are also being built along Hardstrasse on the ground floor. In addition, a kindergarten, studios and a youth shop of the Open Youth Work Zurich (OJA) are planned at Hardaupark. Together with the existing Hardau high-rises, which mostly comprise smaller apartments, a well-mixed urban housing supply is to be created.

    At Hardau I, energy parameters of the Minergie-P standard in the sense of the 2000-watt society have top priority: Nevertheless, only the construction on the noise-polluted Hardstrasse is certified according to the Minergie-P-Eco standard. Because no controlled ventilation is installed in the quieter courtyard building. The mobility concept provides for a neighborhood with little cars: The number of parking spaces will be significantly reduced to 31 instead of the previous 249. Energy is generated directly on the property by a photovoltaic system planned and financed by the city of Zurich’s electricity company. So that the electricity produced on the roofs of the property can be used on site, tenants and property developers form a self-consumption community.

  • "The potential is enormous"

    "The potential is enormous"

    In the heart of the city of Zurich is the university area with the knowledge and health clusters of the University Hospital Zurich (USZ), the University of Zurich (UZH) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich – three successful institutions with a high international reputation. The spatial proximity of the three institutions offers unique opportunities for intensive cooperation, which brings about innovations in research, teaching and medical care. However, numerous buildings in the Zurich center university area no longer meet the requirements of modern hospital, research and teaching operations. The infrastructure has reached its capacity limits. With the generation project at the Zurich Center University Area (HGZZ), the infrastructure of the USZ, UZH and ETH Zurich is being improved and the leading position of the institutions is being secured.

    Common vision
    The “Zurich Center University Area” building project is a Herculean task: “There are three levels of government (federal, canton and city) and three institutions (university, university hospital, ETH) involved,” says Roman Bächtold, head of the HGZZ office, which is responsible for the various projects in the Coordinated university area. “Getting the interests and needs of all these players under one roof, right in the center of Zurich, was and is a special challenge. The potential is enormous. If it succeeds, the population will benefit far beyond Zurich, and not just today and tomorrow, but across generations. ” Zurich has a unique knowledge and health cluster that integrally combines research, teaching and health care in a very small space. It is important to secure and strengthen this advantage. This shared vision made it possible to unite the parties. That was and remains demanding and time-consuming.

    Upgrading the quarter
    The planning goes way back. The main milestones were the location decision in September 2011, the elaboration of a master plan (2012/2013), its approval in August 2014, the tendering and implementation of the study contract for the urban space concept HGZZ (2016/2017). But the adoption of a joint white paper in March 2018 was also an important stopover on the way to our destination. The University of Zurich can be recognized from afar by its green dome. Will it stay that way? – «The green dome remains. But the quarter will be massively upgraded, greener, more accessible, more liveable, ”says Bächtold. And he adds: “There are hardly any projects in Switzerland that are so complex and varied. You come into contact with countless stakeholders from politics, business, the population and the media. This great challenge is appealing and exciting ».

  • Hafen Enge: Promenade instead of parking lots

    Hafen Enge: Promenade instead of parking lots

    Around a hundred years ago, goods were being handled at the port of Enge on Lake Zurich. Today the Enge harbor promenade is an important link between the arboretum and the honeycomb garden, characterized by a narrow promenade, a kiosk and a spacious public parking lot. With the relocation of the 127 parking spaces to a nearby new building, there is now the opportunity to redesign and upgrade the Enge harbor promenade.

    After the participation process, the City of Zurich launched a project competition in autumn 2020, which was concluded in May 2021. The competition task comprised the redesign as a harbor promenade including a replacement building for the kiosk with toilet facilities as well as preparatory work for a planned underground seawater center (pumping station).

    The winning project is “Porto Stretto” by the Schmid Kuhn Landscape Architects Working Group, Zurich, and Loeliger Strub Architektur GmbH, Zurich. In its overall concept, the project combines the Mythenquai, the honeycomb garden and the arboretum with the varied sequence of promenades and parks. It gives the Enge harbor promenade its own identity. A restrained equipment should allow adjustments to constantly changing usage requirements.

    The kiosk, which is designed as a red, iconic wooden structure, underlines the character of the port facility. The generally accessible arbor of the kiosk with a long bench offers covered seating with a view of the lake at any time of the year. A light poplar grove should provide shade. Perennials and shrubs, unsealed soil and a well should contribute to the urban nature and a good local climate.

    The city has already started the project planning work. Construction will actually start as soon as the parking spaces can be relocated – probably at the beginning of 2026.

  • Six “courtyards” promise urban and natural flair in Adliswil

    Six “courtyards” promise urban and natural flair in Adliswil

    Six buildings in a park-like setting with natural names such as “Libellenhof”, “Eulenhof” or “Froschhof”. Around 10,000 square meters of space for commercial and office space and space for 331 rental apartments. Energy efficient building standard. A park-like environment, car-free zones, beautiful courtyards, meeting places and playgrounds. Urban flair through bistros, shops, a fitness center, a supermarket, a daycare center and medical practices. Relaxation, liveliness and an inspiring environment. That is what the Quartier Höfe Adliswil should be when it is completed in 2024.

    The Libellenhof and Hummelhof buildings should be ready for occupancy as early as 2022. The Libellenhof is located in the west of the area. The L-shaped structure is the gateway to the Höfe district. On the ground floor there is a supermarket, a daycare center and other services. Office space and apartments are available on the upper floors. The 56 apartments in the Libellenhof have spacious floor plans, the atrium apartments are loft-style and have roof terraces. The Hummelhof is on the east side of the quarter. Commercial space is planned on the ground floor, office space and 53 apartments on the upper floors.

    In the course of 2023, the Amselhof and the Schwalbenhof right next to it should be ready for occupancy. The Amselhof forms the south-eastern boundary of the quarter. The trapezoidal structure has a large inner courtyard. Commercial space is planned on the ground floor, office space and 68 apartments on the upper floors. The Schwalbenhof wants to appeal to tenants – double earners with or without children, singles, expats – who are looking for exclusive quality of living.

    The Froschhof and the Eulenhof are to be built by 2024. The Froschhof is also mainly intended for living. The smaller Eulenhof with only 16 apartments offers tenants a lot of privacy.

  • From A for Altstetten to W for Wädenswil

    From A for Altstetten to W for Wädenswil

    Manufakt creates a brand that stands for modular building complexes with flexible use by high-value, manufacturing industries. Manufakt is characterized by its local roots as well as regional and national networking. The powerful and clear structures radiate the greatest possible physical presence. In addition to a concise external effect, Manufakt always focuses on the corresponding internal effect and specifically focuses on modular and networked open spaces and atmosphere. On July 1, 2021, the imposing Manufakt8048 commercial property, which was built on one of the last vacant industrial sites in the city of Zurich, was officially opened after around one and a half years of construction. The building, which is located directly on the track field at Zurich Altstetten station and was built for the client Swisscanto Investment Foundation, is exemplary. Because with the innovative concept and the Manufakt brand, Steiner AG is bringing commercial and service companies back to the city.

    The Manufakt concept can be applied to several locations.

    Curated networking
    “For us, Manufakt stands for quality craftsmanship of the future, for Industry 4.0, the digitization of industrial production,” says Peter Herzog, Head of Real Estate Development for Zurich at Steiner. The “curated networking” of the Manufakt buildings is to be understood in a double sense: in addition to the digital, the analogue networking in the building, which takes place in particular via the open courtyard, is to be promoted. And Othmar Ulrich, Head of Real Estate Development Region East, adds: “We offer industry and commerce an environment that gives tenants the opportunity to further expand their network. We imagine that the buildings will be played with a choreography. ” The manufacturing concept is currently also being used in Wädenswil and Winterthur. In Wädenswil (Appital area), a development for trade, research and offices will be built by 2024. The name was chosen based on the postcode of Wädenswil Au: Manufakt8804. More information: www.manufakt8804.ch.

  • Two new buildings turn the arsenal area in Uster into a cultural center

    Two new buildings turn the arsenal area in Uster into a cultural center

    The city of Uster wants to create a culture and meeting center on the arsenal area. An architecture competition was announced for this in autumn 2018. The jury awarded the “KUZU” project by EM2N Architects, Zurich, with first place and recommended the project to the city council for further processing.

    The “KUZU” project complements the existing armory with two simple buildings that differ in size and structure: the “Culture Shelf” and the “Culture Hall”. The old building will remain, the historical substance will only be minimally rebuilt and renovated.

    The eastern new building, the culture shelf, forms the new face of the city. It is planned as an open structure with redensification potential. A cladding made of corrugated polycarbonate sheets and wood should make the building appear light and permeable. A small hall with a stage and 120 seats, a restaurant, two small cinema halls with a bar and an exhibition room are planned for the culture shelf. The small hall and the cinema halls are to replace the Ustermer Kulturhaus Central, which will be demolished in the next few years.

    A large event hall with 700 seats is to be built in the new western building, the Kultursaal. A parking garage is planned underneath. The culture hall is to serve as a replacement for the outdated city courtyard hall. The structure of the culture hall is filled with prefabricated concrete elements and thus appears more massive and closed than the culture shelf.

    The buildings should be in an open courtyard figure, the “culture courtyard”, to each other. This should help with orientation and create a common center, where synergies of the different uses should also arise.

    In the next two years or so, the project is to be concretized to such an extent that the population of Uster can definitely decide on the redesign and the building loan. The opening of the new culture and meeting center is planned for 2028.

  • Look to the future of construction technology

    Look to the future of construction technology

    It is a long way from the idea to marketable innovation – especially in the construction industry. There is a gap between technologies that work in the laboratory and the market that demands well-engineered and reliable products. The modular research and innovation building NEST of the Swiss research institutes Empa and Eawag aims to close this gap.

    The NEST (Next Evolution in Sustainable Building Technologies) was opened in 2016 and is located on the Empa campus in Dübendorf. The building consists of a building core with three cantilevered platforms. Temporary, thematically different building modules, so-called units, can be installed on it. In this way, research teams, architectural offices and companies from the construction industry can test and develop materials, technologies, products, energy concepts and usage concepts together at NEST. In the sense of a “living lab”, the installed units are actually used living and working environments.
    The “HiLo” unit is currently under construction on the top platform of NEST. Construction started in summer 2019. The unit is intended to demonstrate the possibilities in lightweight construction. In addition to an innovative roof construction, material-saving lightweight floors and an adaptive solar facade are used. During operation, the building technology is to be continuously optimized with the help of machine learning. The unit will officially open on October 6, 2021.

    The two-story “STEP2” unit is also being planned. Business and research partners implement them together in an open innovation approach. After its completion, which is planned for summer 2022, it will serve as an interdisciplinary innovation workshop and office environment. The unit’s central projects include a spiral staircase in the shape of a human spine, a building envelope that adapts to the external conditions, and a floor ceiling made with 3D printing.

  • Garden city – city and lots of nature

    Garden city – city and lots of nature

    It all started with a concept competition: Think Architecture AG and Koch Kommunikation AG won the race from three participating architecture firms: “It was a successful attempt to integrate marketing into the project from the very beginning and not later in the process,” remembers Corinne Ruoss , Team Leader Development at Mobimo. The outside space of the condominiums was given a very high weight. The floor plans are modern, functional and flexible. The apartments attract with a generous outside space of at least 14 square meters and a fireplace. The living space climate in the building (Eco) as well as the energy balance (Minergie) play a central role: “The building is planned in accordance with the Minergie Eco standard. A spacious staircase is naturally illuminated with daylight. And the vertically structured wooden facade with wooden slats is a particular eye-catcher. The balconies are integrated into the facade, so that when viewed from the outside, there is a unity, ”adds Ruoss.

    In-house electricity and e-mobility
    A photovoltaic system on the roof generates in-house electricity, and the parking spaces in the underground car park are intended for e-mobility. Based on the “garden city”, the use of natural materials is planned. Native plants are provided for good biodiversity, there is a butterfly meadow on the balcony roofs (intensive greening), and only a few sealed areas are planned. There is a flowing transition to the surroundings with soft shapes, trees and bushes. Seen in this way, the estate fits perfectly with Mobimo’s selection of project locations, with an urban or suburban location and good access to public transport: “In the implementation, convincing architecture and a high standard of construction are important to us, and we also pay close attention to sustainability … and yes: A good price-performance ratio is ultimately decisive for the response on the market. “

  • Regensdorf receives a city quarter on top of an art museum

    Regensdorf receives a city quarter on top of an art museum

    A city quarter on top of an art museum? This is not a typo, but a reality: In Regensdorf, the investment foundations Turidomus, Adimora and Pensimo have planned a new type of living and working concept. Zwhatt is the name – and it stands for social, cultural, ecological and architectural diversity. The cemented art museum of the Fondation Riklin is located in the foundation of the city quarter, which is being built on 3.6 hectares directly at the Regensdorf-Watt train station.

    On behalf of the aforementioned investment foundations, Pensimo Management AG is realizing around 600 rental apartments and commercial space around central Zwhattplatz in two construction phases. The first construction phase envisages around 400 apartments, 12,000 square meters of commercial space and 330 underground parking spaces. The rental of the first apartments is scheduled to begin in autumn 2021.

    A total of seven buildings are planned, two of which are high-rise buildings. The Riklin Foundation was set up in January by the St. Gallen conceptual artists Frank and Patrik Riklin. In Zwhatt, art is becoming the DNA of a new city quarter – it is supposed to lay a new foundation for social cohesion.

    Pilot project for climate-adapted area development
    Residents from Regensdorf, Adlikon and Watt gave the two artists everyday items such as suitcases, lamps and rocking horses. These were then reassembled with other suitcases, lamps and rocking horses, or rather “latticed”. The works of art created in this way were sunk into the foundation of the museum. Later they will be brought back to life using augmented reality.

    The new city quarter should meet the need for mobility, flexibility and freedom as well as the desire for community and home. Different lifestyles, family models and types of consumption are expressly encouraged. Zwhatt stands for the encounter with diversity. And this motto does not stop at the architecture either: the interpretation limits of the design plan were explored using a so-called Charrette process. 100 architects, urban planners and experts took part in the preselection in 2018. In the end, five teams were selected to help shape the project. The architects of the first construction phase were also evaluated using unusual methods such as the sufficiency pitch.

    Zwhatt is a pilot project for the federal government’s climate-adapted area development. The district draws its energy from the groundwater and the electricity from its own photovoltaic systems. In the case of high-rise buildings, panels are also integrated into the facades. The mobility concept provides for a small number of parking spaces and thus low-car living. The desired mobility is made possible by sharing offers for electric cars and e-bikes. Co-working spaces, shops and restaurants directly on the site support this concept. The first occupancy is planned for 2023.

  • No density stress in Bülach

    No density stress in Bülach

    The bird’s eye view shows the size of the construction project.

    The new city quarter should be attractive for future residents as well as for the Bülach residents who are already living there. “An exciting quarter has been developed,” says Mark Eberli, Mayor of Bülach, “and it will work well with the good mix of residential and commercial.”

    Lots of space to live.

    Urban density
    The former glassworks area impresses with its excellent geographical location, right next to the train station and in close proximity to the feeder to the cantonal highway A51. A major challenge was to structure the high structural density with an appropriate urban and architectural concept so that an interesting and versatile living and working space is created in this urban location. Thanks to an alley-like development concept as well as an attractive and varied outdoor space with green areas and well thought-out neighborhood squares, the people in the Glasi Quarter will receive a valuable compensation for the structural density.

    Construction is currently being carried out at the highest heights.

    Move in from 2023
    A broad mix of apartments is being created in the Glasi Quarter, including inexpensive cooperative apartments as well
    Includes condominiums. These can be inhabited by singles, couples, families and shared apartments. Areas for retail and trade, a care center with apartments for the elderly, a charitable social institution and a day nursery are already let. A substantial proportion of commercial space offers space for shops, craft businesses, offices and restaurants. There are some impressions around.

  • Building for the ZHAW in Winterthur

    Building for the ZHAW in Winterthur

    2021 Eulachpassage castling
    In summer 2020, the ZHAW Health Department will move from the Eulachpassage to the new Adeline Favre building on the Sulzer site. The ZHAW School of Engineering will temporarily use the space in the Eulachpassage as a Rochade building, while the new Technikumstrasse campus will be built over the next few years.

    2023 laboratory building RD
    A unique center for food and beverage technology will be built on the Reidbach campus in Wädenswil by summer 2023. The new building not only unites the ZHAW Institute for Food and Beverage Innovation in one place, but also the entire value chain of the food industry. In the future, food and beverages will be researched here, from raw materials to the market.

    Construction time: 2019-2023
    Architecture: Leutwyler Partner Arch.

    2024-2034 Campus T
    The ZHAW School of Engineering is getting a new, attractive campus with a park on the Technikumstrasse site in Winterthur. The buildings and green space required for this will be implemented in four stages by 2035.

    The first includes the two new laboratory buildings TT (2024) and TL (2027), with laboratory, teaching and office space as well as a cafeteria and a public park with access to the Eulach. In the longer term, all buildings around the main building by Theodor Gohl (1878), which is worthy of protection, and the east building by Hermann Fietz (1908) are to be replaced by new buildings. For the second stage, the renovation and densification of the building complex with the east and chemical building TE / TZ (2029) is planned.

    In the third stage, the historic main building TH (2032) will be renewed and expanded to the south. In the final fourth stage, the physics building is to be replaced by the new laboratory building TP (2035), provided that the old building by Hans Suter (1960) is removed from the inventory of buildings worthy of protection.

    2025 Shedhalle Reidbach
    The ZHAW has been renting the former factory premises of the Wädenswil AG cloth factory since 1999. As soon as the so-called shed halls have been converted, they will be used from 2025, for example, as a new university library as well as learning and common rooms for students from the ZHAW Department of Life Sciences and Facility Management.

    Construction period: 2023-2025

    2033-2034 Rochade Eulachpassage and meander
    In the long term, the ZHAW Department of Applied Linguistics will settle on the Eulachpassage and make room in the meander for the ZHAW School of Management and Law, which is to expand entirely on the St.-Georgen-Platz campus.

  • Arbed Smart Center – a hub for networking in the suburbs

    Arbed Smart Center – a hub for networking in the suburbs

    An innovative project that aims to respond to a new way of conceiving spaces, the Arbed Smart Center in Castione will rise in the center of Ticino, on the Milan-Zurich axis, a stone's throw from the train station and motorway junctions as well as 10 minutes from 'drive from Bellinzona.

    The ASC is a futuristic project because it combines technological innovation with the offer of living and working. The project is specifically aimed at business travel and is made by entrepreneurs and professionals such as engineers, researchers or doctors, who travel to Ticino to expand their knowledge or start new projects.

    Three blocks for working and living
    The ASC consists of 2 main blocks whose construction is underway on an area of 10'000 square meters. A work space with technologically equipped modular meeting rooms and a smart living area, with about 70 units and green areas in which to organize events, conferences, business meetings, etc.
    The third block will be used for a hotel offer: about seventy rooms, including 34 suites, for a total of 80 beds.

    The Center is accessible to everyone, even those who do not stay inside, and wants to be a connector between tourists and local authorities.

    Technological innovation
    The guest of the Center is supported in all phases of their stay by a "customer centric" application with which they can book the restaurant, the Spa and the various services, obtain information in real time on all the activities to be carried out in the area and throughout Ticino.

    Furthermore, through the App, you can easily carry out the check-in and check-out phases. In the suites, on the other hand, home automation, combined with the high-speed wi-fi connection, allows you to connect simply and immediately to all the devices in the room such as Smart TVs and appliances.

  • Designing a sustainable supply chain: salmon farming in the heart of the Alps

    Designing a sustainable supply chain: salmon farming in the heart of the Alps

    How did you come up with the idea of setting up a salmon farm in the Swiss Alps?
    Swiss Lachs contacted AFRY with the intention of producing salmon in a safe and sustainable way through an innovative, zero-kilometer farming, with the aim of recreating the entire supply chain in one place to allow the fish to live in a healthy environment. and controlled, minimizing both the environmental impact due to transport and the stress that this causes to the fish.

    How did you choose the site and what did you do?
    Many factors had to be considered, also bearing in mind that in Switzerland a breeding facility must be located in an industrial area.
    and have access to abundant clean water. In addition, it must be able to return the purified farm water to a watercourse.

    In Lostallo, an easily accessible place in an attractive landscape, an industrial area has been identified where it is possible to build the electrical and drainage infrastructures essential for livestock farming.

    The project was followed by the AFRY team in all its phases, from the feasibility study to the final realization; including the construction phase up to the insertion of the first fish in the water.

    Thanks to our skills, we were able to carry out most of the investigations internally; we checked the viability, assessed the presence of natural hazards and made agreements with the various authorities to have the necessary infrastructures built. After the confirmation of the feasibility we applied for the permits and the construction license. A lot of weight has been given to the study of the environmental impact.

    What characteristics should an industrial building have?
    In an industrial building, production and the plant to guarantee it have priority. Construction is not just a container but an integral part of the process. The safety of workers, the concept of hygiene, the study of work procedures, the planned and extraordinary maintenance of the plant, are principles that the designers had to study and consider in depth in their work.

    How did the construction phase go and which stage was the most challenging?
    15 months have passed from the beginning of the works to the introduction of the first fish in the water. After a careful analysis with the team of engineers, we opted for a prefabricated concrete structure that provided advantages in terms of both costs and construction times while respecting the needs of the designer. 34-meter concrete trusses were built, since due to the presence of the large tanks it was not possible to erect pillars inside the building. The structure by elements ensured the necessary flexibility during the construction phase, since the plants had different delivery times.

    It was a great challenge that required a considerable commitment both in the design and construction phase, which was won to the great satisfaction of all.

  • Lugano also has its Flat Iron

    Lugano also has its Flat Iron

    With its 90 meters high and 22 floors, the New York Flatiron Building was conceived by architect Daniel Burnham over a hundred years ago, to actually fill an area with a curious triangular shape.

    A construction with a steel frame that was able to distinguish itself from the other buildings precisely for the characteristics of its architecture: a three-sided tower which, at the tip in its narrowest part, had a walkable surface of just 2 meters, so as to look like a gigantic iron, “Flatiron” in fact. A work with an original architectural solution that aroused a lot of uproar at the time, so much so that the project was baptized “the madness of Burnham”.

    The construction was completed in just one year and the Fuller Building – this was the original name of the skyscraper, from the company that commissioned its construction (Fuller Construction & Co.) – was immediately renamed with its nickname, Flatiron .

    Since 1902 (when it was finished) its reputation has never waned and several prestigious companies have chosen this location to locate their offices.

    The building from another perspective.

    A version adapted to the territory
    It is precisely the charisma of this symbol of New York – one of the most loved and photographed buildings – that inspired the Benzi Group to re-propose one of its facsimiles in Lugano, adapting it to the triangular plan and with the proper proportions for the site on which it stands.

    It is a building with six residential floors and a panoramic green terrace overlooking the lake in the Viganello district, between via al Lido and via Muggina: in total, 18 apartments of different sizes (from 1.5 to 3.5 rooms).

    The silhouette of the building is sinuous and elegant and its curved lines recall the shapes of nature, the sun and the moon, distinguishing itself from the rational and geometric canons of other nearby modern buildings.

    The glass facade was made with the latest generation of metals and offers effective solar protection thanks to an intelligent weather station that detects temperatures and automatically adjusts the shading according to individual needs. A photovoltaic system was installed on the roof which minimizes the energy consumption of the building (also equipped with a cooling system), with thermal insulation of all surfaces.

    Latest generation technologies and interior design with attention to the smallest details – making use of the best brands of kitchens, bathroom furniture and prestigious coatings – make the Flat Iron Viganello apartments of the highest living standing.

    Inside, unique environments of high standing.
  • Living with a vertical garden

    Living with a vertical garden

    Exactly 20 years have passed since the first green cladding on the facade of a hotel near the Champs Élysées in Paris started a new development area for bio-architecture: vertical gardens. An architecture of biodiversity that considers man in relation to other living species and inserts a new element in urban continuity. This desire to introduce a small innovative element to the city was the basis of the Residenza 99 project created by the Luca Gazzaniga Architetti studio.

    Urban concept
    The Municipality of Massagno and those responsible for planning have
    turning off via San Gottardo into a new artery with an urban character with moderate traffic.

    In order to mitigate and interrupt the hard and compact front of the buildings present, the project by Studio Gazzaniga has tried to define – through a green, lively and natural facade – a new transition between the living space and the street space.

    The district with scarce vegetation is now found with a vertically planted surface that allows a new perception of the urban space thanks to elements that decorate and embellish the façade, to the benefit not only of the tenants but of the community.

    The project
    Two buildings were built, with a shared garage and a mixed commercial and residential function. Yes you say-
    stand out for the different treatment of the facade towards the street: one with a vertical garden and the second with fiber cement panels.

    The apartments are of various sizes, from 2.5 rooms up to large penthouses, some are intended for rent, others for sale.

    The project had to resolve a duality: on the one hand, exposure to the sun and an open view of the city and the Gulf of Lugano, on the other the presence of a very busy road. The apartments have passed from north to south, a side where light and tranquility, silence and open views towards the lake predominate.
    The south fronts are completely glazed and open onto balconies equipped with Wintergarten-type loggias, real living spaces of intermediation between inside and outside.

    The sleeping area of the apartments is located on the north side towards the street and has floor to ceiling windows. Residenza 99 is a modern and contemporary construction thanks also to the façade made with a vertical garden, which becomes the reference and identification element of the project with a patchwork design to be consistent with the architectural compositional concept.

    The green wall is part of a built front with a very urban character.

    Vertical green
    In nature, plants have the ability to adapt to a countless variety of surfaces and habitats. They grow on rocks, in deserts, in water and in very different climatic conditions. Their roots can be aerial, rooted on slopes and also on vertical elements.

    Applying green elements to buildings is a practice that dates back thousands of years. With the Modern movement in the last century, the roof garden was considered a true “fifth facade”.

    From the observations of these phenomena, the French botanist Patrick Blanc reinvented the technique of the modern vertical garden by spreading the culture of this type of green in urban spaces.

    In areas of the city where there is no space to create green horizontally, vertical green can restore a situation of equilibrium with the built environment, constituting one of the aspects of the concept of green city. The aesthetic aspect is only one of the components and the vegetation becomes a manifesto of sustainability and re-appropriation of the relationship with nature.

    In addition to the undeniable aesthetic aspects, linked to the blooms and the variation with the seasons, the vertical garden offers numerous advantages from the living and environmental point of view. In particular: it protects from solar radiation, captures fine dust, mitigates noise pollution, produces oxygen and improves air quality, is an element of protection of facades from atmospheric agents, natural insulation (from heat and cold) , improves privacy, creates a microclimate near the windows and promotes mental well-being (nature and beauty are essential to our inner balance and well-being).

  • Licasa Residence: 12 apartments surrounded by greenery

    Licasa Residence: 12 apartments surrounded by greenery

    Light modulation is an important element
    The transition between the external and internal space of the building is obtained with a series of filters that regulate the light transmitted inside the premises: brise soleil, translucent grilles and overhanging slabs, are characteristic elements that allow correct modulation of natural light.

    The organization of the spaces is optimized to allow natural light to be diffused inside the apartments, generating an interesting play of light and visual relationships towards the surrounding landscape. In fact, the living area extends over the entire depth of the building, opening towards the two main facades to the east and west.

    Historical building elements re-proposed in a contemporary vision
    For this project, brick, typical of Lombard architecture, was used as the basic element; the construction technique is resumed without imitating its past, proposing a new reading of it. The horizontal texture that testifies to the laying process of the base element is emphasized in the texture, thanks to the particular module (narrow and long) and the horizontal rear joint. The white paint changes the appearance of the brick itself, making it lighter and at the same time highlighting the precise play of shadows that characterize the texture of the facade.

    The static structure of the building is made up of pillars while the internal divisions are resolved with plasterboard walls so as to allow greater flexibility of the interior spaces, ensuring freedom of composition and customization by the individual owners.
    The facades, which are ventilated for better energy efficiency, are composed of an internal structure, an insulation, an air layer and to finish an external cladding, in this case a very particular brick, painted white.

    Architects Ugo Frueh and Luca Pagnamenta

    A large green space that enhances the buildings
    The housing complex leaves plenty of space for greenery allowing the
    struito to integrate delicately into the living environment. The driveway is characterized by the presence of a green filter, which guarantees privacy for the rooms on the ground floor and which lightens the visual impact of the built volumes. To the east are a series of gardens
    flat private dines in front of the living rooms of the apartments on the ground floor while to the north, towards the playground of Savosa, there is an area for common use, embellished with a row of Japanese cherry trees.


    The project meets the Minergie requirements
    The project is based on the concept of a building oriented to the minimum energy requirement, which also presupposes a better use of passive sources such as solar radiation to cover the heat demand. During the summer, to avoid excessive overheating, an automatic system provides for the lowering of the darkening systems for the facades most exposed to the sun.

    The electricity produced by the photovoltaic panels is primarily destined for the common parts of the building, including the heat pumps for the production of domestic hot water and for heating. In case of excess energy production, it will be distributed to the owners of the apartments as “self-consumption”.

    The production of domestic hot water is centralized and the heat is distributed through floor coils.
    There is also a gentle mechanical ventilation system that guarantees automatic air exchange in the rooms, recovering heat in the winter and cold in the summer: the centralized system allows light cooling, sending fresh water into the coils and guaranteeing a greater comfort thanks to the free-cooling system.

    The interiors can be customized according to the taste of the buyer.

    LICASA: a cooperative of artisans
    LICASA (Cooperativa Liberale per la Casa) is a non-profit organization founded over the years
    Ninety in order to collaborate in the control of the housing market in Ticino. A consolidated organization of local artisans who have decided to join together to give a guarantee of quality to the projects carried out. All members of the cooperative have a proven track record and work at competitive prices.

    The statutes indicate the actions to favor its members access to housing with moderate rents according to the ad hoc public laws, as well as the purchase of housing at non-speculative market prices; where possible, members will also be favored for professional services regarding construction, thus guaranteeing the quality and reliability of the operation.

  • An intergenerational center to be built in two stages

    An intergenerational center to be built in two stages

    54 architectural firms, evaluated and selected by a jury chaired by architect Ivano Gianola and coordinated by architect Stefano Tibiletti, participated in the project competition organized with a public competition procedure for the construction of school buildings, in one phase. The project by the CHP studio (Campana-Herrmann-Pisoni) of Ascona, called “Sistema”, convinced the experts, which with its interdisciplinary group convinced above all for its urban strength, with a clear definition of the external spaces, volumes well calibrated and respectful of the surrounding space. Initially, we will proceed with the construction of the kindergarten and elementary school (with double gym), the headquarters of the SEPS (Special Early Education Service) and a Bibliomedia, and then a new home for the elderly will be added later. with 72 beds, for which requests for planning proposals at urban and planovolumetric level have already been included in the competition announcement.

    Precisely for the different design contents, the client had highlighted the need to have an “intergenerational center” in the future, finding an answer in the project presented by the CHP studio, which tried to “clearly define the reciprocal relationships between the different buildings and the external areas, also in consideration of their specific destination, to better organize the entire site and favor the idea of meeting typical of an intergenerational center ».

    Urban and architectural aspects
    Observing the winning project, it is clear that a future tree-lined avenue will start from the nucleus of Biasca to lead to the new intergenerational center, whose entrance threshold will be the square between the school porch and the front of the future home for the elderly.

    The home for the elderly, the Bibliomedia, the elementary school and the gym will overlook a new public park. The double value of the gym is interesting, as it will have flexible contents and can also be used as a multipurpose room with one hundred seats. This is why the atrium will constitute a privileged meeting space favoring the synergies between the canteen, extra-curricular classrooms (lecture hall) and the gym.

    View from inside the SI towards the gymnasium and the SE (left).

    The second outdoor area provides play and socialization spaces for elementary school pupils, also for use by the community outside school hours.
    The building that houses the nursery school and the SEPS is instead characterized as a volume inserted in the park with its own precise identity, which responds to specific themes and programs. A more intimate garden was conceived for e-
    exclusive of these students.

    For the future home for the elderly, an autonomous building has been proposed, with a square plan, with a geometry different from the other architectural bodies.

    For the construction, the architects of the CHP studio envisaged the use of only two materials (reinforced concrete and wood) and a rational construction in stages, which also includes proposals for a future expansion of the SE and SI, should this be necessary.

  • Photovoltaic surface of cantonal record

    Photovoltaic surface of cantonal record

    It is a building that responds to the growing demand for health and care beds for non self-sufficient elderly people that integrates initiatives and measures in support of families, also through an important redevelopment of the surrounding area, with public spaces accessible to the population of the Pregassona district.

    Hence the name chosen for the structure, renamed “Polis”, following a competition open to the entire population and launched in recent months by the LIS. The term recalls, in fact, the concept of the city-states of ancient Greece “inhabited and frequented by young people, the elderly, professionally and not professionally”, and symbolically combines the two words “Poli” (from polyfunctional) and LIS (acronym for Lugano Social Institutes).

    The structure located in via alla Bozzoreda stands out not only for its architectural characteristics, but also for being a real and innovative pilot project in the Ticino landscape, that of teaching at the cantonal level for “Towards solar buildings in Ticino”, aka “Towards -EST “, financed by the Canton’s Renewable Energy Fund (RES), which aims to promote large-scale solar envelopes capable of implementing renewable electricity production of high architectural quality, going beyond the objectives of the Energy Strategy 2050 in Switzerland.

    SUPSI has the task of developing a replicable model
    Today, photovoltaic solutions for the construction sector must be integrated and transformed to adapt as much as possible to the needs of different architectural projects, to take on the functions and performance of building elements and to satisfy an increasing flexibility of production processes. This was highlighted by Eng. Pierluigi Bonomo (researcher and head of the SUPSI Innovative Envelope team) who observes how «today’s industry allows for the customization of ‘tailor-made’ cladding systems for the roofs and facades of the building which, in addition to appearing as a normal constructive element , they also have the function of producing renewable energy ». For years Switzerland has been one of the most active countries at European and international level on this issue of the BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics), or rather “constructive integration of photovoltaic elements”, which has the Swiss Center of Competence on this matter within the Institute of Sustainability Applied to the Built Environment (ISAAC) of the Professional University School of Italian Switzerland (SUPSI) – located in Mendrisio on the new campus inaugurated last April – where since 2005 greater synergies between architects and specialists in the photovoltaic sector have been promoted.

    Several pilot projects in recent years have addressed the issue of the active solar envelope, with a growing focus on achieving a hidden effect of solar cells in favor of an architectural language that approaches traditional building materials, rather than those of the panel. solar. Engineer Bonomo lists the many advantages linked to the use of a solar facade nowadays: the possibility of maximizing the self-consumption of the building in synergy with the coverage and increasingly competitive costs with traditional building materials. Cionono-
    given, there are still some brakes with respect to these innovative solutions.

    A Swiss example
    With the multipurpose center of Pregassona, the city of Lugano wanted to launch a challenge in the name of a different concept of façade: not a classic cladding but an entirely photovoltaic surface that adapts to the chosen architectural language thanks to the possibility of integrating, in a system classic ventilated façade, photovoltaic colored glass sheets produced to measure by Sunage SA and installed by Alsolis SA.

    This public building (financed by the canton’s RES) is equipped with the largest photovoltaic system integrated into the façade in Ticino, indeed it is among the façades of this kind with the largest surface area even in Switzerland, for an installed power of about 170 kWp, equal to to an area of over 1,600 m2 of photovoltaic glass, arranged on all the facades of the complex on various orientations and exposures.

    The Polis building in Pregassona will therefore be a real case of a virtuous example destined to set a school for the use of an active solar facade that produces electricity and is a constructive element, contemplates numerous advantages by reducing self-consumption, has competitive costs and a high architectural quality.

  • Renovation and expansion respectful of the original volumes

    Renovation and expansion respectful of the original volumes

    The Tavesio school center, located in via Preluna 25 in Comano, stands on a map of 1700 square meters and was built in 1969 on a project by the engineer Mario Torriani. Originally it comprised 4 classrooms, a special classroom, the teachers’ and management offices, the lecture hall, the gymnasium and the changing rooms.

    The age of the building and the system – despite the continuous maintenance work – required the Municipality to reflect on what to do, also considering the need for new teaching spaces, compensated in the past with the replacement of the main hall with two additional school classrooms, but also municipal and administrative. For this reason, on 3 July 2020, the Municipality launched an architectural competition for the renovation and expansion of the building, also based on an appraisal already commissioned to SUPSI in 2012, whose purpose was to identify the state of decay. of the school complex, its technical and energy rehabilitation (compliant with Minergie ® standards), also providing for an expansion in the wake of new space requirements due to the settlement of new families in this beautiful hilly town in the Lugano area. From that study the economic advantages of a global and structural rehabilitation of the building rather than its demolition and reconstruction from scratch had also emerged, as well as the quality remained unchanged over the years of the original corpus.

    Unanimous jury, very satisfied executive
    In the session of February 22, the Comano Municipality ratified the decision of the jury which, unanimously, chose the corti.li project by the Canevascini & Corecco studio in Lugano, which was awarded the first prize for having better resolved the problems of rehabilitation and expansion of the Tavesio elementary school, managing to preserve “the delicate volumetric relationship of the existing with the context, thanks to the intuition of digging to the south in correspondence with the base of the basketball court, to locate part of the required spaces”.

    As observed by the municipal council and president of the jury Silvano Petrini, head of the Education Department, “with this intuition the Canevascini & Corecco studio was able to control, from a volumetric point of view, the expansion by creating an interesting and dynamic dialectical relationship with the volumes originals “.
    The jury also appreciated the precision, effectiveness and discretion with which it managed to insert the new contents in continuity and in compliance with the volumetric characteristics of the existing school complex, not failing in the second objective of the architectural competition. that is the extension, with the addition of four new classrooms and the recovery of a space dedicated to aula magna.
    The designers were therefore recognized as having been able to preserve the sense of intimacy of this school, expanding its dimensions in the name of better organization and capacity, while remaining faithful to its values and pre-existing heights.

    A fast process
    The project architecture competition, with a selective procedure, was published on 3 July 2020 and aroused the interest of 18 architectural firms from Switzerland and Italy; of these, 9 were then admitted to the next phase of the project in collaboration with a group of specialists, submitting their documents by 18 December 2020.

    The jury, which met in January and February 2021, expressed itself in unison on the project by the Canevascini & Corecco studio in Lugano, with which an interdisciplinary group collaborated.

    The material choices that already characterize the architecture of the school, such as brick for the vertical elements and concrete for the horizontal lines or volumes that emerge in the classrooms towards the west, have been maintained and expanded, opting for continuity between the components of renovation and expansion.
  • From Masseria to social center

    From Masseria to social center

    In spring 2021, the restoration works of the former Masseria di Cornaredo started, which stands on land owned by the city of Lugano, which in 2019 granted a surface right to the Francesco Foundation for social aid in order to renovate and offer valuable contents to an area that, in the last thirty years, has undergone a major deterioration since it has been left in a state of neglect. To revive the rural complex – of which there are historical evidences dating back to 1351, which once belonged to the Castle of Trevano (begun in 1871 at the behest of the Russian baron Paul von Derwies, who had one of the most splendid residences in Switzerland built with huge investments) – the Francesco Foundation was able to count on the support of the city of Lugano, the Municipality of Porza and the Rotary Club Lugano-Lago, which decided to support the creation of this social citadel which provides for the architectural and structural recovery of the existing complex .

    New project in a modern sector
    The redesign and renovation of the former Masseria di Cornaredo are part of the reorganization of the new Cornaredo district, which since 2012 – the year the Vedeggio-Cassarate gallery was opened – is undergoing substantial changes. The Cornaredo sector, which extends over approximately 1 million square meters, will become the new gateway to the urban center, with other road connections, intermodal structures, parking lots and large construction sites with mixed content (residential-commercial and administrative), as well. as defined by the new Master Plan which involved the Municipalities of Lugano, Canobbio and Porza.
    One of the pieces of this construction site is precisely the former Masseria, which will be enhanced to become a strategic point for the city and the area that revolves around it. The precarious state of the buildings requires static-structural consolidation interventions, respecting the existing architectural system.

    The conservative restoration project contemplates the maintenance of the ancient charm of the buildings, in particular of the facades, which will be meticulously restored and completed with timely interventions in order to meet the new needs of the interior spaces.

    The social canteen promoted by the Bethlehem Center with related services, the administrative offices of the Francesco Foundation, a multipurpose room will be located in the building. On the ground floor, in addition to the restoration of an ancient press, an inn with accommodation will be created, the proceeds of which will help finance and feed the Foundation’s charitable activity, also compensating for the important costs of the restructuring.

  • Historical manor with a modern frame

    Historical manor with a modern frame

    Like a park, the spacious grounds of the Glockgut stretches through rural Herblingen. The former farming village is only a few kilometers away from the center of Schaffhausen. In the middle of the green surroundings and at the same time close to urban culture, it has a high recreational and leisure value. A total area of 24,223 m² offered the experienced Steiner AG project developers space right in the middle for the vision of creating a varied living environment for young and old – with a children's playground, flower meadows and open green areas full of tall trees and ornamental shrubs. At the end of March 2018, the project of the working group Theo Hotz Partner AG and Bergamini Partner Architects received the building permit. The main building of the former manor, which is worth protecting, formed the starting point for the development plan. After the Steiner Investment Foundation got involved in the project as an investor, construction began on the family-friendly and near-natural apartments in autumn 2018.

    Open terrain

    The old manor building is now gracefully framed by five modern apartment buildings. It was a particular challenge to design the different buildings and such a large area as uniformly as possible and to realize them from a single source. A special feature of the plot in the north-western area, which initially presented itself as a problem, helped here: a steep slope. The solution was to leave it undeveloped. The actually built-up part today covers an area of 10,330 m 2 , while the preserved green space proves to be an enrichment for the quarter.

    The first construction measure was the conversion of the two-storey manor into a daycare center – in close cooperation with the preservation of monuments. The adjoining shed, in turn, was torn down and replaced by a new multi-purpose building with the same location and similar cubature. On the ground floor, this new building houses a common room that is used by the after-school care center during the day and is available to the residents of the complex in the evenings and on weekends. "The space is intended to give the building an identity as a new center," explains Peter Herzog, team leader for real estate development at Steiner. The ensemble of the two buildings was therefore left free and fits harmoniously into the backdrop of the open slope behind. Arranged in a U-shape around the building, the new housing estate grew step by step.

    The new residential buildings fit in with the simple manor with a straight-line architecture and corresponding colors and, with their loggias, balconies and terraces, bring the interiors together light and airy with the outside area. From the inside, they allow a generous view of the green area and sometimes into the distance. The buildings in the area are loosely distributed and connected by a network of paths. Kindergarten, primary school and various shops can be reached in a few minutes on foot from the quarter. In this way, the entire development is both naturally permeable and urban dense at the same time.

    Sustainable investment

    The five new multi-family houses comprise a total of 27 rental and 71 condominiums. These are 2.5 to 5.5 room apartments with an area of 65 m 2 to 130 m 2 . All apartments have a high standard and are tailored for families as well as for couples or individuals. With the prices and different apartment sizes, the aim is to achieve a mix of one-person and family households. "In terms of price, we are in the middle segment," confirms Peter Herzog. An underground car park with 136 parking spaces also provides space below the site. It is directly accessible for all new buildings.

    The buildings are implemented in accordance with the Minergie standard and are heated with climate-friendly geothermal heat pumps. When possible, sustainable types of concrete with cement from mixed demolition were used for the construction. Recycled aggregates were mixed in here.

    Planning tailored to your needs

    The entire development is based on a design plan that was presented to both the responsible authorities and the local residents during the process. That contributed to the trust in this large project, explains Herzog and adds: "With the Glogguet development we have shown how we can build compacted and how the quality of the place remains." Despite the pandemic, the construction work could be carried out on schedule in compliance with the applicable protective regulations, so that the apartments were ready for occupancy in spring 2021.

    www.steiner.ch
    www.gloggeguet.ch
    info@steiner.ch

  • Tax deductions for eco-investments in new buildings should take effect more quickly

    Tax deductions for eco-investments in new buildings should take effect more quickly

    There is currently a waiting period for environmentally friendly investments in real estate. Such investments are only tax-deductible five years after the property has been built. Last December, Councilor of States Roberto Zanetti (SP / SO) submitted a motion calling for this waiting period to be shortened.

    In view of the high construction costs, the financial limits of especially younger builders for ecological measures in new buildings are understandable, writes Zanetti in his motion. If, after completion of the building, it turns out “that the corresponding ecologically desirable additional investments would be financially viable”, the owners will, however, in view of the five-year waiting period “be careful not to take these investments by hand immediately”. This is “regrettable from an ecological point of view,” says Zanetti.

    The shortening of the waiting period called for by the SP Council of States can now be implemented. After support from the Federal Council and the adoption of the motion by the Council of States, the National Council has now “accepted the proposal without discussion”, the parliamentary services inform in a message . Now it is the Federal Council’s turn. He must create the legal basis for shortening the waiting period. In addition, different procedures between the cantons are to be harmonized so far.

  • Demand for larger apartments is driving the construction industry

    Demand for larger apartments is driving the construction industry

    The construction industry has proven to be crisis-resistant during the corona pandemic. According to a press release, the economic research and consulting institute BAK Economics expects building construction to grow by 0.4 percent this year. An increase of 0.6 percent is expected for 2022.

    The prospects for construction activity vary between residential construction, commercial construction and infrastructure construction. While residential construction is increasing, commercial and public construction projects are recording slight losses. The demand for larger apartments is growing due to increased home work. In addition, the energetic renovations and the expected turnaround in interest rates are driving growth.

    In contrast, the pandemic-induced decline in the number of public-sector construction projects is having an impact on infrastructure construction. The number of commercial construction projects is also falling, as many companies postpone or stop planned construction projects. Thanks to the current economic upturn, according to BAK Economics, an upturn in both areas can be expected in 2022.

    Positive results in building construction are expected for the years 2023 to 2027. In commercial and infrastructure construction, the medium-term order situation should remain constant.

    There are regional differences in overall construction activity: According to BAK Economics, the regions of Zurich / Aargau, the Lake Geneva region and central Switzerland have the best forecasts. The institute expects the Basel region to stagnate in the medium term.

  • Baulink realizes the Marriot Hotel in Basel

    Baulink realizes the Marriot Hotel in Basel

    Munich Hotel Partners GmbH ( MHP ) has commissioned Baulink with the realization of a Marriot hotel in Basel, informs Baulink AG in a message . Specifically, the Invita division, which specializes in hotel interiors, is to renovate the former Swissôtel Basel. The hotel, which has been closed since November 2020, was bought by MHP and the American HIG Capital .

    Invita will act as the general contractor for the design of the hotel’s 125 rooms and public areas, the communication further explains. “With our experience from the first conversion phase, we offer the best prerequisites for successfully and efficiently carrying out the project for MHP,” Robert Diepenbrock is quoted there. The head of the Invita department at Baulink is convinced that “he can bring specialist knowledge of hospitality to a team of first-class partners”.

    For the execution of the project, Invita will work together with the architects Oana Rosen from Frankfurt. The notification does not provide any information about the financial scope of the contract.

  • Swiss Prime Quartier Riverside is ready for occupancy

    Swiss Prime Quartier Riverside is ready for occupancy

    In Zuchwil, the new residential and work area Riverside is now ready for occupancy. According to a press release , the first tenants will move into the Widi Huus and Sulzer Huus in October. The project of the Swiss Prime Investment Foundation is characterized by modern energy supply and traffic management as well as recreational opportunities. It was also developed by the Swiss Prime Investment Foundation in Olten as a “living space”. As a location in the country with all the amenities of an urban place. The new Riverside district combines living and working. The Aare in turn connects nature with the city. The quarter has direct access to the river.

    According to Jérôme Baumann, President of the Board of Trustees of the Swiss Prime Investment Foundation, “120 apartments have already been rented. Only a few are available. ”The apartments offer a lot of quality of life. The Solothurn architect Benedikt Graf from gsj architects and agps architecture was quoted as saying that the choice of materials was "extremely careful". The heat generation for heating and water takes place sustainably via a groundwater heat pump. Natural cooling is in operation in summer.

    All apartments are designed according to the guidelines of Procap Switzerland and are wheelchair accessible. There are individual charging stations for e-vehicles at the visitor parking spaces. The parking spaces in the underground car park can also be equipped with a charging station. All five houses of the first stage should be occupied by autumn 2022.

  • Building the future of energy

    Building the future of energy

    The property right at the entrance to the municipality is less than 10 kilometers away from the city of Winterthur and is still an idyllic piece of land, with a direct connection to the banks of the Töss and with a view of meadows and forest. The goals of the Energy Strategy 2050 are being built here. The Verde Blu development has been inhabited since autumn 2019. So far, so normal. It is noteworthy, however, that this development covers a large proportion of its energy requirements itself and that exclusively from renewable sources. “The specifications of the Energy Strategy 2050 are an opportunity for the real estate industry,” explains Dieter Stutz from Atlantis AG, which is active in the areas of environmental consulting, settlement planning and architecture and who developed the project. The heat supply via groundwater was the best and most convincing solution for the area. Atlantis planned and implemented this complex construction project together with EKZ.

    Sustainable living as a need
     The new construction project Verde Blu with nine residential and commercial buildings comprises 108 condominiums as well as various commercial areas that are used by a Migros branch, a community and a physiotherapy practice, among other things. An old, listed barn serves as a common room and provides rustic charm on the site. In contrast to this is the state-of-the-art technology that supplies the system with energy: groundwater is used as a heat source for the heating and hot water, which supplies the houses with decentralized heat pumps via a so-called anergiering. An anergiering is a cold local heating system that, in contrast to conventional local heating systems, works with transfer temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius. Anergy networks therefore have no heat losses in the lines, but even generate additional energy gains from the ambient heat. In summer, the buildings can be passively cooled with the groundwater via the anergy ring.

    A photovoltaic system, which is optimally designed to meet the needs of the building, provides the electrical energy for the building. The complex was only built after the apartments had already been occupied. Because they wanted to leave the decision for or against solar power to the owners. The fact that the system with a peak output of 100 kilowatts was approved by an overwhelming majority at the first owners’ meeting in winter 2019 speaks for itself. Martin Nicklas, who is responsible for modern energy solutions at EKZ, is not surprised: “In the real estate sector, we have long known the need to make a contribution to sustainability in the living area too.” A charging infrastructure for the 209 parking spaces was installed in the lower-level garage. Thanks to load curve management, it is possible to charge the cars in stages if a whole fleet of electric vehicles should one day populate the garage.

    Well-coordinated system
     In Kollbrunn, power generation as well as heating and cooling generation and electromobility are combined in an integrated energy system. The centerpiece is an intelligent control system that maximizes the self-consumption rate and takes over load management. In this way, what is actually the most important goal can be achieved: that the electricity produced by the PV system is also consumed as much as possible on site. The control uses weather forecasts from an external weather portal for this purpose. An algorithm in the control system evaluates this data and decides on the previous evening whether enough solar power will be produced the next day to charge the boiler and storage tank of the heating system. If the solar production is too low, the boilers are charged during the night at the low tariff, otherwise there is a wait until there is enough solar power available the next day to start the heat pump.

    On-site energy production
    The “Grand Chemin” development was built in Epalinges in western Switzerland, with some of the electricity required being produced on site by a photovoltaic system (PV). A new multi-family house is being built in Emmen (LU), which will be characterized by a heat pump with groundwater and a PV with ZEV. Two examples out of many that show that the future of energy has long since begun.

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