Implenia intends to sell its building construction business in Austria to Zech Bau Austria GmbH , the construction and real estate company from Dietlikon informs in a message . The sale should be completed by the end of October. The two partners have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
"We are pleased to have found a strategically suitable owner for our building construction activities in Zech Group, who will implement a sustainable growth strategy together with our employees in Austria," explains Jens Vollmar, Head of the Buildings Division at Implenia, in the press release. Implenia intends to take responsibility for completing projects that are already under construction.
The sale of the building construction business in Austria is part of Implenia's strategy of concentrating on the company's core portfolio. The group wants to "focus on integrated construction and real estate services in Switzerland and Germany as well as tunnel construction and related infrastructure projects in other markets", it says in the announcement. At the end of 2020, Implenia had already sold Tüchler Aufbau GmbH in Austria. The company for interior and dry construction was taken over by HK-A Aufbau Holding GmbH.
With its construction project for the Rieter Campus, Rieter is committed to the Winterthur location and to Switzerland as a business location, according to a press release from the textile machine manufacturer. The foundation stone for the new customer and technology center as well as the administration building was laid on Wednesday. The company, which has been based in Winterthur for 225 years, is investing around 80 million francs in this
From 2024, the Rieter campus is to offer space for around 700 workplaces on a floor area of over 30,000 square meters. To this end, the company developed an open room concept with a specialist in office architecture. With heat generation via geothermal probes and a 1,300 square meter photovoltaic system, Rieter is relying on renewable energies. “The entrepreneurial focus on sustainable and energy-efficient solutions for yarn production is thus reflected in the overall concept of the campus,” CEO Norbert Klapper is quoted as saying.
In the course of its company history, Rieter has helped shape the city of Winterthur, said Chairman of the Board of Directors Bernhard Jucker. “Now, with the new campus, the foundation is being laid for the future as a leading technology company.”
Kompotoi is among the six finalists for the Swiss Excellence Product Award 2021 . Swiss Excellence has now announced this. The Zurich start-up convinced the jury with its mobile and sustainability-focused composting toilets. The award ceremony will take place on September 16 in the Technopark Winterthur. With the Swiss Excellence Product Award, the Swiss Excellence Foundation claims to make a contribution to promoting entrepreneurship and Switzerland as a technology and innovation location.
Kompotoi says it offers a “beautiful, user-friendly and sustainable alternative” to conventional toilets. They are “absolutely odor-free” and are made from wood “by hand in Switzerland”. You can get by without plastic, chemicals, electricity and flushing water. “We have developed a better solution than the conventional one for the mobile toilet area. It’s simple and obvious. That is why customers are enthusiastic about our product, ”said Kompotoi in his presentation for the Green Business Award , for which the company has also been nominated.
Instead, the collected residues are converted into stable humus soil using a combined process technology of fermentation and composting. “One kilo of compost stores an average of 0.2 kg of CO2,” said Kompotoi when asked about the environmental benefits of their product. “Kompotoi produced around 100 tons of compost in 2019, that’s around 20,000 kilograms of stored CO2. If all mobile toilets in Switzerland were operated as compost toilets, 13,200 tons of CO2 could be sustainably stored in the soil. “
Kompotoi rents out its wooden toilets for larger festivals, for example. The company is also planning systems in the public sector or for single and multi-family houses. Kompotoi also sells toilet solutions for garden houses, hunting lodges and alpine huts.
With Kompotoi, two more start-ups are competing for the Swiss Excellence Product Award: Hivewatch and Smartbreed . Three companies have also been nominated in the SME category: Advanced Osteotomy Tools – AOT AG , Qumea and Rheonics . All start-up finalists are already supported with a three-year coaching from the start-up sponsor genisuisse .
The FHNWUniversity of Architecture, Building and Geomantics will be offering a certificate course in spatial data analytics at its location in Olten from January. This is intended to enable specialists from the fields of data science, transport, logistics, spatial planning as well as natural and environmental sciences to digitally plan the cities of the future and evaluate the data from infrastructures. The university is responding to a need in the construction and planning industry, according to its media release .
The Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) Spatial Data Analytics is intended to impart the knowledge required to model, process and interpret geodata in a targeted manner in 16 course days and in cooperation with experts from the field. For this purpose, “a balanced mix of lectures, case studies, group work and practical exercises” is planned, according to the FHNW. In addition, time blocks are planned for self-study.
“The question of where spatially measurable events take place is no longer sufficient,” says Prof. Dr. Pia Bereuter quoted in the communication. “In the future, we also need to understand why these happen. This requires well-founded analysis processes that are integrated into the digitization strategy of companies or organizations. “This expertise represents the basis for decisions with spatial reference” in almost every industry “.
Lumineo , a young company from the Jura, has been invited to design part of the prestigious entrance hall in the new Vinci headquarters with its innovative material. Lumineo built an 80 square meter wall made of translucent concrete for the largest construction company in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. The material used is called Lumistone. It is an in-house development of the Porrentruy-based company.
According to a press release , this is the largest wall the Lumineo Group has ever built with this material. Lumistone looks like concrete. Animated images can be projected through this wall using LEDs. The way to the successful development of this translucent material was "as hard as concrete", according to Lumineo on its website. Countless layers of fiberglass would have had to be poured into the concrete "before the recipe was discovered".
In addition, this is a curved wall, "which means that the structure had to be processed differently," Lumineo CEO and one of the project managers, Aurélie Pezzotta, is quoted as saying. In mid-June she was a guest of the new Femmes Fondatrices series of eventsin the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area , Jura location . Pezzotta is happy to have completed this building, because "the nights have been very short in the past few months".
A wall in the reception area of the world's leading construction company could only be an advantage for the Lumineo Group. “Lots of architects and project managers will come by here,” so it is a great showcase for the company. Now Lumineo wants to develop further on a national level and hire more employees.
The study “Ready for Climate Change?” By the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) aims to sensitize building owners to building climate-friendly. But it should also help buyers and tenants to evaluate a property.
The study suggests that in the future not only heating, but also cooling concepts will have to be taken into account. "The architecture of Switzerland is still too focused on making apartments pleasant and energy-efficient in winter", Gianrico Settembrini from the Institute for Building Technology and Energy at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences is quoted in a media release. The decisive factor, however, is that buildings are planned with future climate data and not, as is the case today, with data based on past values.
The building stock consumes around 40 percent of Switzerland's final energy requirements, the HSLU continues. This must be further reduced. However, if the increased use of air conditioning equipment were necessary, this value could instead increase even further. "The use of cooling or air conditioning devices should be avoided, technical solutions may only be used when the passive options have been exhausted," says Adrian Grossenbacher from the Federal Office of Energy . It provided financial support for this study.
In total, the study team identified eleven parameters that have an impact on energy consumption as well as the thermal and visual comfort of a living space. These parameters, such as the properties of the windows, sun protection and shading elements, were simulated in a reference building in Basel-Binningen, which is typical for the Mittelland.
The HSLU provides guidelines for planners online for download . In order to accelerate the precipitation of available knowledge in the new architecture, the university will bring experts up to date with the three-day advanced training course “Building in Climate Change – Effective Measures for Builders and Planners” in September.
Outdated concrete structures have long been reinforced with carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP), Empa explains in a press release . Empa researchers have now further developed this technology. Your CFRP lamellas can actively counteract the deflection of concrete beams.
To do this, the slats are glued to the beams with epoxy resin under tensile stress. After the connection has hardened, the tensile stress counteracts the deflection of the beams. The researchers have also improved the previous method for attaching the ends of the strips. Instead of glued and screwed aluminum plates, specially developed CFRP brackets are used.
"A solution made from a single material is always better than two that behave differently," Empa researcher Christoph Czaderski is quoted in the press release. “We made a lot of tests in the laboratory, especially for the anchoring.” According to the announcement, the new technology can increase the load-bearing capacity of a concrete slab by 77 percent compared to the classic method.
The next step is to bring the process to market maturity. To this end, Empa is working with S&P Clever Reinforcement Company in Seewen SZ as an industrial partner. An industrial process is currently being developed for the hangers that have previously been handcrafted, according to the announcement. Martin Hüppi believes the process is “justifiable in terms of price for building owners”. “I absolutely see a market for this,” explains the S&P project manager in the press release.
For around three years now, the canton of Aargau has enabled the digital submission of building applications with “eBau”. The Department of Construction, Transport and Environment is implementing this digitization step as part of the federal and cantonal eGov strategy. The advantages are obvious: "The entire building permit process from the applicant to the municipality to the canton can be processed electronically," explains Reto Käch, Head of Support and Training eBau, from the Department of Construction, Transport and Environment of the Canton of Aargau. The use of such online services enables efficient and less personnel-intensive processes, leaner work organization, more transparency and better networking of those involved.
As of today, a total of 22 municipalities are connected to eBau Aargau. "With the step-by-step roll-out and the training courses, we are gradually familiarizing the communities with the digital building permit process," says Käch. The support manager explains the lack of the majority of the 213 municipalities in Aargau as follows: «50 percent work with their own construction management software. These communities have to wait until the second quarter of 2022. " From then on, the connection without media discontinuity will be possible via a specially initiated eCH interface. According to the figures, the switch to the electronic processing of building applications is still making municipalities that already meet the requirements hesitant. “Maybe some people have different priorities in the corona crisis. Some may also find it difficult to replace old processes. We do not apply any pressure. We are happy to support and train interested communities in this regard, ”says Käch.
The feedback from those involved who work with eBau has been consistently positive. “The simple structure of the online form for submitting the application is particularly impressive. Mandatory fields prevent something from being forgotten when entering it. The time lost is significantly reduced, ”says Käch. And the municipalities also benefit: “In the eGov area, the standardized work processes are particularly valued. The successive work steps lead successively through the process. This means that administrative employees without specific industry knowledge can also process a building application. " Less administrative effort, better data quality and paperless work are the greatest trump cards for administrations.
A topic that concerns all cantons Municipalities that are introducing eBau will only work electronically from this date. "Only a few applicants submit their applications in physical form," explains Käch. In such a case, the application would then be digitized by the administration. According to the eGov strategy, eBau Aargau should bring added value for everyone and save costs, as the administrative effort is reduced. The first cantons are already making it possible to publish a project that is subject to publication online. According to Käch, the current law does not take a position on digitization. "The Administrative Law Maintenance Act (VRPG) of the canton of Aargau only regulates when a public publication is required, how long and with what content the construction project has to be publicly published and who is to be informed in which publication medium," explains the trainer.
The canton of Lucerne, for example, handles the digital edition as follows: The municipalities have to make the application form with all attachments available for inspection on the Internet during the public edition, if the building application was submitted electronically and the municipality has the necessary infrastructure. "We deduce from this that an online edition is possible and that there are no federal legal bases that speak against it," concludes Käch. In such a case, however, in the interests of equal treatment, citizens without internet access would have to be able to view the planning applications in the municipal office. The canton of Aargau did not consciously assume a pioneering role in the electronic submission of building applications. "Today all the cantons are concerned with implementing software, web applications or platforms that support the electronic submission of building applications," Käch is convinced. And adds: "It is a sign of the times that this issue is being dealt with across Switzerland." Architects, surveying and engineering offices as well as specialist planners have been working with 2D drawings, accessible 3D models, photo-realistic visualizations or digital building and terrain modeling for decades. "With the electronic building permit process, the basic understanding is changing from an administration-oriented service to a customer-oriented one," says Käch.
Last but not least, the corona pandemic makes it clear once again how important advancing digitization is: “During the lockdown, part of the administrative workforce was also sent to the home office. One of the challenges was not the organization around the equipment, but the fact that many dossiers in the administrations are only available in physical form, ”explains Käch. Customers also increasingly switched to digital channels: "The challenges that Covid-19 brings with it could turn out to be an opportunity for increased acceptance of digital administration over the long term."
The investment costs for the development of eBau were borne by the canton. There are no initial costs for municipalities that want to work with the digital solution. Operation, data archiving and support are paid for with an annual flat rate. The total costs for the application add up to a total of 50,000 francs per year. This amount is divided among the user communities. If all Aargau municipalities were to use eBau, this would result in a marginal contribution per year and municipality. The first three years of operation (2018-2020) were pre-financed by the canton.
A corporate mission statement has been developed for the Pestalozzi Group. In an interview with “ KMU Magazin ”, Matthias Pestalozzi names the main areas: corporate culture of continuity, development of digitization and networking, and cross-generational corporate management. The delegate of the board of directors to the company's management is quoted as saying that the most interesting and most important aspect of the formulation of the mission statement was the broad discussion with the employees who worked on it in workshop teams. Pestalozzi: "In the end there weren't many differences to the old model, but it is formulated in more detail, especially the topic: How do we work together?" One consequence is that the company has introduced the you culture.
Pestalozzi, who runs the family business founded in 1763 in the ninth generation, emphasizes in the interview the importance of digitization for the company that specializes in trading in everything related to construction. Digitization and networking are a "huge topic, we are constantly working on it". Digitization is important in customer contact. The group has invested a lot in the e-shop in recent years to enable digital orders. Around 40 percent of orders for finished products already go through electronic trading. Digital marketing has also been expanded, with the use of platforms such as LinkedIn or the distribution of a newsletter. According to Pestalozzi, security problems in the digital sector are often underestimated, especially by SMEs. At Pestalozzi, employees are therefore trained on an ongoing basis.
The Pestalozzi Group wanted to motivate young people to train in the building and construction industry with the 39th prize awarded this year for good apprenticeship qualifications. It is often difficult to find apprentices there. The pen prize is awarded in the building envelope, building services, metal construction and metal processing sectors.
As part of the renovation project of the Kongresshaus and Tonhalle Zurich, the latest technology has been installed, according to a communication from HKG Engineering . The company's Schlierem representative was entrusted with the electrical engineering. The challenge was to keep the original as much as possible, while new parts and additions were to be adapted to the existing stock.
Thanks to the renovation, the Kongresshaus, which opened in 1939, and the Tonhalle Zurich are now ready for the next 50 years. An area of 5300 square meters is available for events. There is space for 4500 visitors in the premises. The flexible space available means that various events such as specialist congresses or meetings can be held. According to HKG, the congress center is also climate neutral.
The new building of the Biozentrum Basel is nearing completion. Jaisli-Xamax also made a contribution to this, as can be seen from a message from the Dietiker electrical company. In addition to the electrical installations, Jaisli-Xamax also took on work on the switchgear assemblies. The basic lighting is already installed. Jaisli-Xamax is currently still working on the special lighting. Different special lighting is installed for each room to enable research work under special lighting conditions. Jaisli-Xamax is also on the home stretch for the rest of the electrical work.
The new building for the University of Basel is a high-rise building 72 meters high. The 16 upper and three basement floors have a total of 23,000 square meters of usable space. After completion, 400 researchers will work there and 900 students will be trained. The first researchers have already moved into the building.
With his dissertation, industrial engineer Daniel Kliem wants to create the basis for the recycling of building materials at the OST – Ostschweizer Fachhochschule, across cantons. As it is said in a media release, the “cantonal spirit” is a hindrance in the political process. If, for example, the price for mining gravel and dumping demolition and excavation is raised in one canton in order to provide incentives for recycling, the problem would only shift to other regions: “Dismantling material and excavation would then be transported to other cantons and new material would then drive from further away, ”said Kliem.
Now a participatively developed model wants to clarify the system dynamics. In addition to three OST institutes, experts from the Universities of St.Gallen and Bergen , the Zurich Office for Waste, Water, Energy and Air as well as Energy and Resource Management GmbH are involved in this four-year project. Despite the complex dynamics, it has already created a comprehensive understanding of the problem and has been able to identify actionable fields of action. For example, the processes and spatial planning measures would have to be redefined. In addition, construction-intensive cantons such as Zurich should be included and the taxation of resources should be regulated nationally.
"The realization that even experts can learn new things with models and gain new perspectives and inputs was exciting," Kliem is quoted as saying. “The obvious measure to increase the price of gravel is good and works. But if the catchment areas are included, the cooperation between cantons serves as a key to prevent additional transport. "
The symbolic construction work for the expansion of the research campus by Empa and Eawag in Dübendorf began on Wednesday. The groundbreaking ceremony gave the go-ahead for a new laboratory building. In addition, a multifunctional building and a multi-storey car park are planned on the 20,000 square meter site. According release Empa and completion is scheduled for the middle of the 2024th
The laboratory building will provide space for around 60 new laboratories and offices, the multifunctional building 1000 square meters of office space and space for restaurants on the ground floor. All parking spaces will be moved to the multi-storey car park. A total of 260 vehicles should find space in it. This would make the outside areas more inviting and safer for pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, more greening is possible.
In the future, research will not only be carried out in, but also on and with the new buildings. Innovations from Empa's laboratories are to be used primarily in the areas of energy and building technology. For example, a field with geothermal probes is planned that will store the waste heat from the buildings and release it again in winter. A research project will then investigate how this innovation affects the campus energy supply.
Tschopp Holzindustrie AG in Buttisholz is investing 75 million francs to replace its now 21-year-old and overloaded sawmill. According to the company, the most modern sawmill in Switzerland is to be built on an area of 20,000 square meters. The company is run in the third generation by the brothers Ronald and Daniel Tschopp.
With this investment, Tschopp Holzindustrie AG is setting an important example for the domestic wood industry, according to a media release. This means that more wood-based materials made from Swiss wood could be made available to the market in the long term.
The new plant is designed for 300,000 cubic meters of logs. They should be managed from the log yard in one-shift operation and from the sawing line, including the sorting plant and stacking systems, in a maximum of two shifts. The wood species spruce / fir from local forests would also be processed in the future. Tschopp continues to rely on the "long-term and professional partnership with the proven raw wood suppliers".
Tschopp Holzindustrie AG specializes in the manufacture of formwork panels for the construction industry. Since 2005, pellets have been produced from the waste wood for the energy industry. Tschopp is the market leader in Switzerland in both areas.
After the new sawmill has gone into operation, timber construction companies will also be offered products that have not yet been manufactured at home or not industrially manufactured in Germany and therefore have to be imported from abroad, such as three-layer natural wood panels.
Researchers at the Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt ( Empa ) are currently examining a new method for stabilizing the amount of stone in road construction. Specifically, according to the press release, it is about replacing the bitumen binding agent in the production of the driving surface. Asphalt consists of stones of different shapes and sizes and only becomes a surface that can be used for roads when it is stabilized with the help of bitumen.
Bitumen causes environmental problems. Air pollutants are released during production from crude oil and later during use. Asphalt is also prone to cracks and deformations and impermeable to rainwater, which pollutes the environment.
The two Empa researchers Martin Arraigada and Saeed Abbasion from the concrete and asphalt department at Empa are currently implementing a method known from art for the production of road surfaces in a test arrangement. In such art objects, stone steles have been used, which are stabilized by a weave of twine and withstand loads of up to 20 tons at a height of 80 centimeters.
In the experiment, an electronically controlled robot arm applies a string to a stone layer in a specific pattern. By “interweaving” the stones are fixed in five layers in their position in the “road bed”. In tests, these were already as strong as conventional bitumen asphalt under loads of half a ton. Inexpensive twine was used, such as are conventionally used for tying up packages.
The trials have not yet led to a ready-to-use product that could be used in road construction. The basic work, however, provides a lot of innovation potential in order to get closer to a recyclable and perhaps rollable road surface using simple means, according to the Empa announcement. A video of the procedure can also be viewed on the website.
Andermatt Swiss Alps AG notes a sustained high demand for residential property in the mountains. The company plans, builds and develops the year-round destination Andermatt. The new district of Andermatt Reuss will be built according to a master plan by 30 international architectural offices, it says on their website.
Six apartment houses are currently under construction, according to Andermatt Swiss Alps AG in a media release. 36 of the 46 apartments are already reserved. After the snow melts, the construction of two more houses will begin. In the past few months, several houses around the Piazza Gottardo have grown in height. Some of them were already sold out in the shell construction phase or only had a few apartments left.
In the coming months, the infrastructure base, known as the podium, on which the new buildings are located, will be expanded further. The next expansion will cover around 19,000 square meters and offer space for 16 houses. In addition, it is planned to start preparatory work for the third hotel in the summer.
As early as 2014, the Institute for Materials and Wood Technology (IWH) at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) started a research project in which inexpensive and sustainable building material based on coconut fibers was to be developed, the BFH informed in a message . The experience gained is being further developed by Michail Kyriazopoulos in a spin-off from the BFH. The former student and research assistant at the IWH founded the start-up NaturLoop together with Daniel Dinizo.
As the first product, NaturLoop has launched a building board made from coconut fibers. Crop waste from Filipino coconut farmers is used for their production. "With Cocoboard we offer a sustainable, cheap and local alternative to conventional building materials", Kyriazopoulos is quoted in the communication. The next thing on the NaturLoop program is the opening of a production facility in the Philippines.
The products of the young company from Bern are intended to reduce the Philippines' dependence on imported building materials. The sale of coconut fibers also offers local coconut farmers an additional source of income. "As a technology service provider, we want to offer complete solutions for the development of sustainable, natural biocomposites made from agricultural by-products," says NaturLoop CEO Dinizio. For him, sustainability means "taking into account the mutual dependence of nature and people."
After a successful research career at the Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt ( Empa ), Matthias Koebel founded his own start-up called Siloxene. With this he wants to market a multifunctional material component that he discovered and researched during his time at Empa.
In a press release , Empa describes the development as a “miracle material” for the chemical industry. Specifically, it is a silicon-based, molecular hybrid building material that is only about a nanometer in size. The material can be used to improve the properties of adhesives, coatings or fillers depending on the product and customer requirements. For example, coatings can be made more scratch-resistant or adhesives can have a shorter curing time. Empa also compares the material with the gene scissors Crispr / Cas, which was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine. This can be used to cure genetic diseases.
With its new start-up, which is based in Dübendorf, Koebel is primarily aimed at companies in the plastics processing, adhesive or sealant production and the building materials industry. "The regulatory hurdles are not so high here and we can relatively easily optimize their products and processes with the companies," he explains in the press release.
Koebel is currently concentrating on expanding its research and development department and on customer acquisition. He first wants to have his macromolecule produced by a contract manufacturer. "In the long term, however, I would like to set up my own production," he emphasizes.
Around 5 million tons of cement are used annually in construction and infrastructure projects in Switzerland. In 2019, 86 percent of demand was met by Swiss cement plants. The raw materials lime and marl, which are used in the cement industry, are available in Switzerland.
However, a report that the Federal Council has taken note of assumes that cement production in Switzerland is likely to decline in the coming years. The reason for this is resistance to the expansion or reopening of quarries. If the requested mining expansion projects for the raw materials lime and marl set out in the cantonal structure plans are not approved, Switzerland's supply of domestic cement will fall to 64 percent by 2024, according to the report.
The report therefore proposes that raw material deposits that are important for the production of cement should also be considered from a national supply point of view. Currently, the authority for the approval of dismantling projects lies with the municipalities and cantons. The aim is to create a national overview of the raw material deposits and to evaluate it from a “raw material geological point of view”. This would give authorities and raw material producers a basis when planning mining projects.
In its communication, the Federal Council also emphasizes that the Federal Office for the Environment ( FOEN ) is currently working with research and industry to find new solutions to replace the primary raw materials lime and marl with secondary raw materials. So far, however, this has only been possible to a very limited extent. However, technologies are also in the development phase that will replace cement in concrete or even lead to cement-free concrete.
Students in the master’s course in Advanced Studies in Architecture and Digital Fabrication at ETH have created a bamboo pavilion weighing just 200 kilograms and 40 square meters, the ETH informs in a message . For the design of the innovative pavilion, its creators developed their own digital design tools. In addition to the renewable raw material bamboo, recyclable plastic was also used in the production. All connecting pieces and shading elements were created using 3D printing.
"The building system developed for this project aims to reduce the logistical effort of building and at the same time to use the advantages of digital production for a more sustainable building culture", Marirena Kladeftira, doctoral student at the Professorship of Digital Building Technologies at ETH, is quoted in the communication . Despite their complicated geometry and their high tolerance requirements, the tailor-made connection pieces can be 3D printed anywhere in the world due to their small size, explains the ETH. The shading elements made of recyclable plastic and Lycra textile can also be produced using 3D printing.
“This construction method could therefore be used wherever bamboo is available and should be built inexpensively,” writes the ETH. In addition, the modular structure allows the building to be assembled and dismantled quickly. The students' bamboo pavilion was set up in Zurich within 48 hours and dismantled again in the same period of time.
In der Schweiz lebt der Grossteil der Bevölkerung in Mietwohnungen. Nur 40 Prozent besitzen Immobilien. Laut einer Medienmitteilung der HSLU ist dieser Anteil niedriger als in jedem anderen Land in Westeuropa. Der Grund seien die fehlenden Eigenmittel und die hohen Baukosten.
Die HSLU stellt nun ein neues Eigentumsmodell vor. Dabei wird eine Immobilie nur für eine festgelegte Zeit gekauft. Wenn von einer Lebensdauer der Immobilie von 100 Jahren ausgegangen wird und das Wohneigentum auf eine Zeit von 30 Jahren beschränkt ist, zahlt die Käuferin oder der Käufer nur 30 Prozent des totalen Wertes der Immobilie. Wegen der verkürzten Nutzungsdauer werden entsprechende Wohnobjekte auch mit einer tieferen Hypothek belegt. Laut der HSLU fallen die Kosten für Wohneigentum auf Zeit insgesamt um rund 15 Prozent tiefer aus als die Kosten der Miete über den selben Zeitraum. Nach Ansicht der Hochschule hat das Modell auch für Investoren Vorteile. Wenn das Wohnobjekt nach Ablauf der festgelegten Zeitdauer zurück zum Investor geht, kann er die Immobilie marktfähig sanieren.
Insgesamt stösst das Modell laut HSLU sowohl bei Investoren als auch bei bei potenziellen Bewohnerinnen und Bewohnern auf hohe Akzeptanz. Dennoch gibt es bisher in Europa nur ein Objekt, bei dem Wohnungen mit dem Wohneigentum-auf-Zeit-Modell erworben werden können – dieses befindet sich in Bern. Die HSLU hat nun ein Handbuch erarbeitet, das aufzeigt, wie Investoren und Wohneigentümer von diesem Modell profitieren können.
14Trees is using 3D printing on a large scale to build affordable residential and school buildings in Africa. Starting in Malawi, such buildings should be realized in record time in this way. The walls of the first school in Salima were printed in just 18 hours, according to a media release . In addition, the CO2 footprint is reduced by up to 70 percent through “optimized use of materials”.
14Trees is a joint venture between the building materials group LafargeHolcim and the London-based impact investor CDC Group . "I am thrilled with the work our joint venture 14 Trees is doing," said Miljan Gutovic, Head of the Middle East and Africa region and member of the LafargeHolcim Executive Committee, quoted in the press release. "Starting in Malawi, we will use the technology throughout the region and already have projects in the pipeline for Kenya and Zimbabwe."
Tenbite Ermias, Managing Director Africa of CDC, is convinced that “the broad application of the groundbreaking cutting-edge technology” of 14Trees enables “enormous development effects”. "This is a wonderful example of our investments in companies that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals."
As the message goes on to say, UNICEF estimates that Malawi is short of 36,000 classrooms. With conventional technology, this would take 70 years. According to 14Trees, this gap could be closed in ten years with 3D printing. In addition, the local projects would create qualified jobs.
According to a statement from the Federal Statistical Office ( FSO ), production in the secondary sector in Switzerland fell by 4.4 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2020. At the same time, sales by Swiss companies in industry and construction fell by 6.3 percent. The coronavirus pandemic is thus "continuing to leave its mark in the secondary sector," write the FSO analysts. Compared to the previous quarter, however, the declines were "only about half as large".
In the industrial sector, production fell 5.1 percent year-on-year in the quarter under review. A weakening of the decline was observed over the three months. It was the strongest in July at 6.7 percent. In August production was 5.6 percent below the previous year's figure, in September the minus weakened to 3.8 percent.
In the construction industry, production decreased by 0.4 percent in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the third quarter of 2019. A decline of 7.2 percent was recorded in building construction. In contrast, production in civil engineering and other construction trades increased by 4.6 and 2.9 percent at the same time.
Sales in industry were 7.9 percent lower in the reporting quarter than in the same quarter of the previous year. Gradually weaker declines between 9.7 percent in July and 5.6 percent in September were observed in the individual three months.
Sales in the construction industry fell 0.6 percent below the previous year's figure in the third quarter of 2020. Here the range ranged from a minus of 6.9 percent in building construction to a plus of 5.1 percent in civil engineering.
Matériaux Sabag is expanding its offer with a 3D printing solution for concrete elements. The company, based in Delémont, has been using a robot since the end of September that enables 3D printing using the concrete spraying process. The concrete elements can thus be tailor-made in the prefabrication. The solution allows the use of raw materials from local production, writes the company in a press release . In addition, CO2 emissions can be reduced by 30 percent. “In this way we will be able to accept urgent orders and react flexibly to customer requests so that we can meet the requirements of the construction sites,” Cédric Theubet, Operations Manager at Matériaux Sabag, is quoted in the press release.
The Jura specialist for building materials is the first company in Switzerland to use this Mobbot solution. The start-up from Freiburg i.Ue. develops robot platforms for 3D concrete printing. His 3D printing of concrete parts means that cladding can be dispensed with and less manual work is required. Mobbot was founded in 2018 by Agnès Petit and today has eleven employees.
In Switzerland, the publication of planning applications is mandatory. According tosmartconext , around 50,000 building applications are published every year. Many construction companies do their own research in order to win new customers. Due to the many different sources, the expenditure of time and money is disproportionately large.
The Zug-based start-up makes building applications easily accessible to small construction companies with its platform that was launched in June. With technologies such as Robotic Process Automation, existing information on building applications can be automatically recorded from all possible sources. Thanks to the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, the data is processed.
Smartconext is now expanding its platform with a new interface solution. According to a media release , this enables a cross-platform exchange of information. For example, a heat pump manufacturer who is interested in new builds and conversions is only shown building applications that are suitable for him. What is unique is that all information is available in real time.
"Our mission is to drive the digitization of the construction industry forward," says Dominik Mahn, CEO and founder of smartconext. “We develop solutions that simplify processes, save costs and increase success,” he adds. According to Mahn, the company passes the resulting cost advantage on to customers.
Die Bautätigkeit im Hochbau werde in diesem Jahr um 3,1 Prozent geringer als im Vorjahr ausfallen, prognostiziert BAK Economics in einer Mitteilung zur aktuellen Bauprognose des Wirtschaftsforschungsinstituts. Im kommenden Jahr wird ein weiterer Rückgang um 1,8 Prozent erwartet. Als Begründung weist BAK Economics auf im Jahresvergleich gesunkene Zahlen bei im Bau befindlichen Projekten, Baubewilligungen und Baugesuchen hin. „Diese Indikatoren sprechen dafür, dass sich die Hochbautätigkeit in einem zyklischen Abschwung befindet“, erläutern die Analysten.
Sie gehen von einem Abschwung in allen Sparten des Hochbaus aus. Dem Wohnbau käme dabei allerdings aufgrund des besonders hohen Anteils eine besondere Rolle zu, heisst es weiter in der Mitteilung. Hier hätten steigende Leerstände zu einem Rückgang der Baubewilligungen seit 2018 geführt.
Der Betriebsbau werde hingegen vor allem von den Auswirkungen der Pandemie gebremst, da in dieser Sparte Bauprojekte von besonders betroffenen Branchen wie dem Tourismus erfasst werden, erläutern die Analysten. Den Abwärtstrend beim Infrastrukturbau führen sie hingegen eher auf zyklische Effekte zurück.
Mittelfristig gehen die Analysten von einer wieder steigenden Hochbautätigkeit in allen Sparten und Landesregionen aus. Dem Wohnbau werden dabei schwächere Wachstumsraten als in der Vergangenheit prognostiziert. Gute Perspektiven sehen die Analysten aufgrund gewachsener Bedeutung von Transport- und Logistik für den Lager- und Hallenbau. Regional weisen sie der Region Zürich/Aargau sowie dem Genferseeraum die höchsten Wachstumsperspektiven zu.
The almost complete study on the situation and future of the Swiss construction industry by PwC Switzerland was revised and updated in March in view of the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic effects. There was a clear change in future expectations. The assessments “since Covid-19” were derived from the additional feedback and these were compared with the original assessment “before Covid-19”, according to a press release from PwC Switzerland on the study . Only 58 percent of the 130 companies participating in the study are now positive (92 percent before Covid).
PwC Switzerland names its study “Make change, take with you what has been tried and tested”. Among other things, it says: “Only those who differentiate win. Creativity and a pioneering spirit are required. The construction industry is facing a paradigm shift towards more differentiation through networked collaboration. Digitization in particular offers interesting opportunities for this. It reduces interfaces, increases the quality of the planning and management processes and promotes the reduction of error costs and idle times in construction. "Covid-19 is likely to drive the" demolition of silo structures in the construction industry and the upcoming reorganization of rigid thought patterns. "
"Even before the crisis, it became clear that a paradigm shift was required in order to survive in construction – even though the Swiss construction industry will continue to play a major role in many areas of life in the future," said Roland Schegg, Director and Head of Consulting at Family businesses & SMEs at PwC Switzerland.
87 percent of companies see an opportunity in digitization, but only 62 percent give it a high priority. The use of digital technologies began years ago, according to PwC. But he is mostly limited to administration, marketing, communication or drawing the plans. It is necessary to digitize construction and operation as well. In particular, the planning and execution processes, which are often separated today, could be intelligently linked.
The construction industry in Switzerland contributes around 15 percent to the gross domestic product. Around 330,000 full-time positions are located in civil engineering. That corresponds to a third of all employees in the industrial sector.
Wall coverings in Patina – color WR06, floor coverings in Legno + Color medium WR02.
Wall coverings in Cementoresina Wall – color WR09, floor coverings in Legno + Color small WR09.
Wall coverings in cement crudo Wall – color WR06, floor coverings in Cementocrudo – color WR06.
Emilio Stecher AG has opened a new, innovative exhibition for interior design. In addition to their well-known domestic and foreign natural stones, they also show ceramic and artificial stones today. What particularly fascinates me, however, are the seamless mineral coverings, which are particularly eye-catching in the homely atmosphere with their warm colors. To show such a new product is rather unusual for a traditional natural stone company. How did that happen?
My son Emilio junior, the fourth generation of our company, completed a stage in the construction chemicals company Kerakoll in Sassuolo, Italy. This company distinguishes itself with its Green Label especially for ecological products. Its CEO and owner in the person of Gianluca Sghedoni has already been entrepreneur of the year in Italy twice. Emilio then enthusiastically told me about “Kerakoll Design House”.
Why did you agree to your son and turn the finished plans for your exhibition completely upside down?
Actually, it is not a classic stone. I then drove to Modena with my project manager Luigi Gioiello, who was in charge of this exhibition, to visit this fascinating exhibition in particular. Mr. Gioiello designed the exhibition based on his vast experience, precisely with the architect's wishes, which he advises on a daily basis. The people in charge at Kerakoll explained the philosophy and the entire 10-year development period to us: The atmosphere of the Warm Collection is the result of exclusive and sophisticated research into textures, surfaces and colors in the unmistakable style of the star architect and designer Piero Lissoni. Mr Gioiello was delighted. It was the icing on the cake, which was actually still missing in his finished concept. He was happy to redraw everything and integrated this excellent product in perfect harmony with our traditional stones.
But I also see structures and various surface treatments. How about that?
It is correct, it is also from smooth layers like silk to irregular, naturally grained surfaces. And finally, it is also a guaranteed visual experience: from the mineral grains to the refinement of the classic "handmade" by the processor to the reaction effects of the light, which creates a fascinating and elegant atmosphere.
Can “Kerakoll Design House” be used anywhere, in wet and dry areas for new buildings and renovations?
It is a classic product for exclusive interior design. Since it applies 2-3.5 mm depending on the product, it is the ideal solution in the field of renovations. Existing healthy surfaces can be coated with it. Especially for buildings from the 60s or 70s, which were often equipped with panels, which were made with asbestos containing construction adhesives have been added, there is no need for laborious picking out and disposal with special contamination. The thin application and the subsequent seamless appearance create completely new rooms in a state-of-the-art outfit. It is ingenious that wet rooms can also be equipped. The dream of every architect to design rooms or bathrooms without joints can be realized here. "Kerakoll Design House" is a product that also integrates our natural stones and can therefore be combined in an innovative way. A new interior design style is born.
Is the processing demanding and expensive and which craftsmen do it?
In fact, it is not a product that is sold based on price. In general, the product is used by experienced stucco workers, plasterers or specially trained painters.
After around four years, what kind of assessment can you draw of successfully completed properties? What do your customers, architects and users say about it? Was your concept of the integrated exhibition understood? Are the only 10 colors of the "Kerakoll Design House" sufficient for the high demands of today's discerning customers?
We have received a very good response from our customers and visitors. Our excellent advice, which is really also competent, also contributes to this, and this is very much appreciated by the visitors. The 10 warm and appealing colors are a comprehensive design project, which can also be combined with various surface treatments. The various products such as “Cementoresina”, “Cementoex”, “Cementocrudo”, additional continuous Microresina wall surfaces, which Wallcrete, Wallpaper and Microresina Wall and, thanks to the individual handwriting of the user, have special notes, make the product never seem boring. On the contrary, the additional decorative coatings such as paint, patina, decor up to the Invisible skirting allow huge combination options, which are perfectly coordinated in the “Warm Collection” color palette. This just leads to a total work of art, which the signature of Pie- ro Lissoni and from the very experienced stucco dear Mr. Antonio Pungitore (who has many years of experience in restoration and plastering Work can look back) has been implemented excellently by our customers. Nevertheless, each object is individual and could always be combined to suit the customer's taste. ■
Emilio Stecher
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