immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Bauwesen

  • Planet Horizons equips 100 public buildings with Aqua4D

    Planet Horizons equips 100 public buildings with Aqua4D

    The Valais-based water treatment specialist Planet Horizons Technologies has equipped 100 public buildings with its sustainable water treatment system called AQUA4D. According to its media release, the company from Sierre has so far been active in the cantons of Basel, Bern, St.Gallen and Valais. According to another statement, these systems have been installed in 50 buildings in Valais alone.

    The technology uses electromagnetism according to a patented method to remove limescale deposits and protect against corrosion and bacteria. The system can be used especially in old buildings with long existing pipelines and in areas with high lime content in the water.

    With the experience of more than 5,000 installed systems in 45 countries, the company says it is now also finding increasing resonance in Switzerland. The systems have been installed in schools, barracks, clinics and administrative buildings. Not only has the drinking water quality been improved, but also the costs for maintenance and servicing have been reduced. The company is now counting on the support of the city of Sierre, the canton of Valais and the Federal Office for the Environment to be able to further distribute its innovative project throughout the country.

  • Holcim buys in Mexico

    Holcim buys in Mexico

    Building materials manufacturer Holcim is acquiring PASA, a company based near Mexico City. According to a media release, it specialises in roofing and is a leader in Central America and Mexico. It has sales of 38 million dollars. All 250 PASA employees will be taken over.

    According to the statement, PASA’s distribution network will be integrated with the sealing solutions from its product range called GacoFlex. This will improve Holcim’s supply chain, it said.

    “Through the acquisition of PASA, we are further expanding our Solutions & Products business and becoming a leading provider of roof waterproofing systems in Latin America,” Holcim’s head of Latin America, Oliver Osswald, was quoted as saying. “This will allow us to offer greater value to our clientele in terms of innovation, performance and sustainability.”

    With this acquisition, Holcim is advancing its “Strategy 2025 – Accelerating Green Growth”. In this strategy, Holcim sets the goal of expanding its Solutions & Products business to 30 percent of Group net sales by 2025. In addition, the company wants to “penetrate the most attractive segments of construction, from roofing systems to insulation and renovation”.

  • Integral expands from Schlieren into western Switzerland

    Integral expands from Schlieren into western Switzerland

    Schlieren-based Integral design-build AG opened a branch office in Lausanne on Tuesday, 2 May. According to a media release, the office in French-speaking Switzerland will operate under the name Integral design-build SA. The head of the new branch is Régis Cornaz, who will set up the branch together with Aurélie Bischoff as assistant project manager. Both were most recently employed at the real estate management company Steiner SA.

    Integral is part of the Halter Group. The construction and real estate group Halter AG has its headquarters at JED in Schlieren. The new working landscape of Halter AG and its sister companies at the move to JED was realised by Integral design-build.

    In addition to the design of working environments, the company also offers a general range of services for interior design. This ranges from workspace management and design to turnkey handover. Integral takes over all phases of the development, planning and realisation of working environments, the company says. With the maximum use of digital processes and 3D tools, the new working environments are visualised and a smooth planning and construction process is ensured.

    The company was founded in 2016 as W21 Innenausbau AG by Peter Pfiffner – owner of Pfiffner AG in Altstetten ZH – and Michael Peter. Today, as a sister company of Halter AG, Integral has employees in the areas of architecture, design and execution. According to the company, it manages projects throughout Switzerland.

  • Hammer Group takes over balcony specialist Anytech Metallbau

    Hammer Group takes over balcony specialist Anytech Metallbau

    The Zurich-based Hammer Group is buying Anytech Metallbau AG, based in Huttwil. With the integration of the provider of modular balcony systems, the cooperatively organised group of companies wants to strengthen its position and develop into a comprehensive provider of structural building infrastructure, according to a media release.

    Accordingly, the Hammer Group intends to take over the activities of Anytech Metallbau AG, including all employees. The current owner, Anja Russo, will continue to run the company as managing director. She is pleased about the new parent company as an “efficient umbrella organisation and partner, which on the one hand convinces with its entrepreneurial values and vision and on the other hand can further strengthen our market position with its presence throughout Switzerland”.

    For clients and partners, too, little will change as a result of the change in ownership. The contact persons will remain the same as before. “Together we can now offer our clients real added value in real estate projects – and all from a single source,” Claudio Ammann, Head of Corporate Development at Hammer Group, is quoted as saying.

    The Hammer Group and its subsidiaries are already active in the product areas of bicycle parking systems, pedestrian shelters, barrier systems, street furniture, fire doors, cloakrooms, waste systems and work platforms. Anytech Metallbau’s balcony modules are used in particular in the renovation market, which is becoming increasingly important. The assembly of the system solution is said to take place in an extremely short time.

    Nothing was disclosed about the purchase price.

  • Halter plans high-rise in St.Gallen

    Halter plans high-rise in St.Gallen

    The Schlieremer construction company Halter AG is developing plans for the redevelopment of a quarter on the edge of St.Gallen’s city centre. According to a media release, a new high-rise building with high-quality architecture is planned on the Bogenstrasse site next to Kreuzbleiche. The investment costs amount to around 60 million Swiss francs.

    The planned building is to be sustainable. According to Halter, there will be below-average land consumption per capita and a minimum number of parking spaces. The building will be supplied with district heating and will also produce energy via photovoltaic systems. The new high-rise building will mainly be used for condominium and rental living. Gastronomy will be located on the ground floor. Team offices with divided areas, such as meeting rooms and co-working zones, are also planned in the new high-rise.

    “The broad utilisation concept will create a versatile place for working, living, gastronomy and culture for a mixed public,” project initiator Rolf Geiger of Halter AG is quoted as saying. The added value for the neighbourhood and the city includes the newly created public square, which will be landscaped as much as possible.

    The special use plan procedure is to be carried out in 2024 and provides for public participation. Another year is planned for the building permit procedure, followed by realisation.

    “Building inner development offers a great opportunity to make our city fit for the future. All those involved in the project want to take advantage of this opportunity with a high-quality development that combines the tried and tested with the new,” councillor Markus Buschor of the Planning and Construction Directorate is quoted as saying.

  • Spreitenbach community centre opens on 12 August

    Spreitenbach community centre opens on 12 August

    The construction of the new community centre in Spreitenbach is on schedule, according to a media release. The new building is to be presented to the population in an opening ceremony on Saturday, 12 August, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., according to the latest news from the negotiations of the municipal council. The interior work is currently underway. For this purpose, the floor coverings are currently being laid, the carpentry and metal construction work as well as the painting work are being carried out and the commissioning of the building services is being prepared.

    The handover of the new community centre will take place punctually at the end of June 2023, as planned in the schedule. The administrative departments are scheduled to move in at the end of August 2023.

    The building loan of 13.65 million Swiss francs for the new building was approved at the municipal assembly on 26 November 2019. The ground-breaking ceremony took place in January 2022. fsp Architekten from Spreitenbach, who were responsible for the construction, explained at the time that the new administration building was designed for a population of 15,000. When the old municipal building was built in 1964, Spreitenbach still had around 9,000 inhabitants. Today it has over 12,000.

    The municipality of Spreitenbach has been supporting the Spreitenbach Adult Education Centre with a contribution for years, according to a separate statement. The municipal council, with the participation of the local citizens’ commission, has increased the contribution for the year 2023 to 7500 Swiss francs. Within the framework of the 2024 budget, the annual contribution is to increase to 10,000 francs.

  • Debrunner Koenig takes over Müller Wüst

    Debrunner Koenig takes over Müller Wüst

    Debrunner Koenig AG, based in St.Gallen, has taken over Müller Wüst AG, based in Aarau. With this acquisition, the wholesale company intends to expand its range of prefabrication for sanitary services and digital, model-based work, according to a media release.

    Müller Wüst has developed into a specialist in the prefabrication of sanitary services. The company works with its own method, the so-called MW method, for model-based building services installations for plumbing, heating, cooling, sprinklers, gases and ventilation.

    With the help of Building Information Modelling (BIM), it makes it possible to order, manufacture and install building services from a digital 3D fabrication model. This eliminates the need for paper plans on the construction site.

    This efficient way of working is now also benefiting Debrunner Koenig’s customers. Müller Wüst has once again found an ideal partner for successful growth in the Debrunner Koenig Group, the media release continues.

    “The two companies quickly realised that they could optimally combine their own strengths and thus create additional added value for customers.” Nothing was disclosed about the cost of the takeover.

  • ETH and Siemens research CO2-free buildings

    ETH and Siemens research CO2-free buildings

    With the Zero Carbon Building Systems Lab(ZCBS Lab), ETH has put into operation an experimental research facility that it describes as “groundbreaking”. There, systemic aspects of materials, energy and human users for the decarbonisation of buildings are to be investigated on a 1:1 scale and under a wide range of environmental and climatic conditions.

    Siemens has packed this two-storey building with state-of-the-art digital building technology solutions, according to its media release. In the test cells, climate chambers and modular test rooms, active and passive technologies for energy supply, automation and air conditioning of buildings are researched under a wide range of environmental conditions.

    The ZCBS Lab was initiated by Arno Schlueter, ETH Professor of Architecture and Building Systems. The lab is closely linked to other innovative groups of the Institute of Technology in Architecture at ETH Zurich, such as the Robotic Fabrication Lab or the Immersive Design Lab.

    The “highlight of the new ETH facility” is what the press release calls a room with a so-called solar emulator. Here, in addition to temperature and humidity, solar effects can be simulated during the course of the day. Such a research facility is unique in the world, according to Siemens.

    “With our building management system, the foundation has been laid to further develop the existing ETH systems as needed and to connect them in the future to the open digital building platform Building X, which is part of Siemens Xcelerator,” Matthias Rebellius, CEO of Siemens Smart Infrastructure, is quoted as saying. Siemens has already been funding the ETH Sustainable Building Technologies professorship since 2009.

  • Storz Medical expands company headquarters with two new buildings

    Storz Medical expands company headquarters with two new buildings

    Storz Medical broke ground for two new buildings at its headquarters in Tägerwilen on 21 April. The manufacturer of devices for shock wave therapy is on a growth course. Therefore, it needs a new warehouse and a new administration building, according to a media release.

    Accordingly, a storage capacity of 30,000 cubic metres will be built on a gross floor area of 3848 square metres. The office building will be 2390 square metres in size and three storeys high, just like the existing building. Both new buildings will have an “extremely high standard with aesthetically high-quality architecture in a timeless design”. The façade of the office building, for example, will be made entirely of glass.

    The designs come from the architectural firm Günter Hermann Architekten from Stuttgart. The construction is being carried out by the total contractor Methabau from Amriswil TG.

    A heat pump is also planned, which can also cool the offices in summer. A new photovoltaic system will add another 1600 solar modules to the existing 648. The plant will generate 1000 megawatt hours of electricity per year. Of this, 700,000 kilowatt hours are expected to be fed into the local grid.

    As a result, according to Storz Medical, it will provide electricity for at least 155 households and “is expected to be one of the largest private producers of sustainable energy in the canton of Thurgau”, the media release states.

    Storz Medical produces and distributes medical devices for shock wave therapy in more than 130 countries. The devices are used in the fields of orthopaedics, urology, dermatology, neurology, cardiology and veterinary medicine, for example to break up kidney stones. The company employs 259 people worldwide, including 176 at the Tägerwilen site.

  • New process enables individual design of bricks

    New process enables individual design of bricks

    Keller Unternehmungen, based in Pfungen, and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts(HSLU) have developed a process for customising bricks. It allows builders and architects new design options in series production for the visible surface of the bricks, according to a media release.

    According to the new process, the natural irregularities of historic bricks in texture and colour are brought to bear. This means that the uniqueness of a stone can be used specifically to design a façade.

    “Our goal was to revive and complement these deviations, which have largely disappeared in modern brick production,” project manager Cornelia Gassler is quoted as saying.

    With the cooperation of an interdisciplinary research team consisting of product designers, mechanical engineers and architects, modular tool attachments for the design of the brick surface were thus created. “The production of bricks is a technique that is thousands of years old,” Gassler continues. “Our approach, with its technically simple attachments, reflects that, but at the same time can be controlled very precisely thanks to modern digital control.”

    In modern industrial brickmaking, uniformity is usually sought in bricks. Cornelia Gassler initially questioned this in her Master’s thesis in 2018 and received the Master of Arts Design promotional award from HSLU for it. In 2019, this developed into the research project ExxE, funded by Innosuisse, the Swiss Agency for Innovation Promotion, in cooperation with Keller companies.

    The new designs are now available under the kelesto Signa brand from Keller Systeme AG.

  • Baden launches pilot project for reuse in the building park

    Baden launches pilot project for reuse in the building park

    The city of Baden is the focus of a new research project on the reuse of building components at city level, according to a media release. The research programme Buildings and Cities of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy(SFOE) has been implemented with the participation of the Zurich-based company intep (Integrale Planung GmbH) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich(ETH) with Baden as a case study since January.

    The project will run for about two years and is largely financed by the SFOE. The city of Baden is contributing about a quarter of the project costs and the Federal Office for the Environment(FOEN) is also participating. “The city of Baden will benefit from tailor-made findings, especially for the city’s own construction projects and the ongoing revision of the land-use planning,” Markus Schneider, the city mayor, is quoted as saying.

    In the research project “Re-Use on the way to the net-zero target for buildings”, the focus is not on recycling building components, but on direct reuse in other buildings. For the project, component flows are being modelled, the environmental impact is being determined and the necessary framework conditions and measures for broad application are being systematically recorded, according to a statement from intep.

    “The CO2 emissions of a building over its entire service life – i.e. not only during operation but also during construction – are an important and still underestimated potential for the necessary reduction of CO2 emissions to net zero,” Nadja Lavanga, project manager at intep, is quoted as saying.

    Christian Vogler, energy coordinator of the city of Baden, names as reduction potentials “the preservation of existing buildings instead of new ones, circular and resource-saving construction methods, the reuse of building components and recycling”.

  • Materials researchers work on climate-friendly concrete

    Materials researchers work on climate-friendly concrete

    A group of materials researchers led by Franco Zunino from the Institute of Building Materials at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich is researching compositions for concrete that can significantly reduce its CO2 emissions. The world’s most important building material is responsible for up to 9 percent of man-made CO2 emissions, the Swiss National Science Foundation(SNSF) informs in a press release. It is supporting the research with an Ambizione grant for Zunino.

    The researchers are using two approaches to develop a climate-friendly concrete. The first is to reduce the particularly CO2-intensive cement content of concrete by 60 to 70 per cent. To achieve this, new types of chemical additives are used, in particular so-called polymer dispersants. In the second approach, the use of binders is reduced.

    In its research, the group is “working closely with a major cement manufacturer”, explains the SNSF. An alternative to concrete is unrealistic, according to Zunino. It would take “a forest the size of India” to replace concrete with wood. Even a completely new building material would hardly be able to establish itself “on the streets in Nigeria, where concrete is perhaps mixed together with bare hands”. With a climate-friendly concrete that is suitable for everyday use, however, “the industry would have a solution in hand to implement its CO2 targets and save CO2 taxes”.

  • Empa erfindet tragfähige und isolierende Glasbausteine

    Empa erfindet tragfähige und isolierende Glasbausteine

    Dank der Empa wird es in Zukunft erstmals möglich sein, auch tragende Wände aus Glasbausteinen zu errichten. Die dort entwickelten Glasbausteine haben eine weitere Eigenschaft, die ihnen bisher fehlte: Sie weisen die höchste Dämmleistung auf, die Ziegel theoretisch haben können, in der Praxis jedoch selten haben.

    Das neue Material, das all dies gewährleistet, ist Silikat-Aerogel. Dieser thermische Hochleistungsdämmstoff findet im Bausektor zunehmend Verbreitung, allerdings meist in Form von undurchsichtigen Dämmmatten und -putze. Es kann jedoch auch transparent sein. In Verbindung mit Floatglas haben Forschende der Empa-Abteilung Building Energy Materials and Components laut einer Mitteilung einen lichtdurchlässigen und wärmedämmenden Baustoff entwickelt: den Aerogel-Glasbaustein.

    Damit gebaute tragende Wände lassen viel diffuses Tageslicht in Innenräume, sowohl bei Neubauten als auch bei Renovierungen. Das ermöglicht vielfältige Anwendungen, etwa in Bibliotheken, Museen, Foyers und Mehrzweckhallen. Sie können in Räumen sinnvoll sein, wo es um einen gesunden Tag-Nacht-Rhythmus geht wie Wohnheime, Zoos, Ställe, Tierzuchten und Gewächshäuser. Sie können in dicht bebauten Stadtquartieren Licht schaffen und bei sogenannten Trombe-Wänden zum Einsatz kommen, eine in der Solararchitektur verwendete Kombination aus einer Kollektor- und Speicherwand zur passiven Nutzung der Sonnenenergie.

    Laut Empa kann der Isolierglasbaustein in solchen Anwendungen durchaus wettbewerbsfähig sein. Die Forschenden haben ihn zum Patent angemeldet und sind nun auf der Suche nach Industriepartnern. Schindler increased its sales by 6 percent to CHF 2.8 billion in the first quarter of 2023. Adjusted for special effects, net profit rose disproportionately year-on-year to CHF 186 million. Order intake, on the other hand, was almost 9 percent lower.

  • Holcim launches platform for recycling construction waste

    Holcim launches platform for recycling construction waste

    Zug-based building materials giant Holcim has launched an internal digital platform for recycling construction waste. According to a media release, this is intended to efficiently distribute, process, shred and assemble demolition materials into new construction solutions. The platform, called ECOCycle, is designed to help in the transition of construction to circularity.

    This will reportedly allow Holcim to recycle 100 per cent of its construction waste. For example, decarbonised raw materials are reused in low-carbon cement formulations. Aggregates can be reused in concrete and fillers in road construction.

    “With our ECOCycle technology, we can build cities from cities by recycling 100 per cent of demolition materials for new solutions, so everything is reused and nothing is lost,” Holcim CEO Jan Jenisch is quoted as saying in the media release. Recyclable construction is imperative in the face of a growing world population and urbanisation.

    Holcim is currently building a residential complex in the UK that is half made of ECOCycle granulate. This granulate in turn consists entirely of recycled demolition material. In France, a residential complex is being built for which Holcim is using exclusively recycled concrete. And in Switzerland, the company offers a cement that consists of one-fifth old construction waste.

  • Limmatstadt und FRZ feiern dritte Gubriströhre

    Limmatstadt und FRZ feiern dritte Gubriströhre

    Die Standortförderung Limmatstadt und die FRZ Flughafenregion Zürich haben am Freitag, 14. April, zusammen mit dem Bundesamt für Strassen (ASTRA) einen Lunch im neuen Tunnel am Gubrist organisiert. Laut einer Medienmitteilung wurde der exklusive Tunnel-Lunch auf der Nord-Seite in Regensdorf abgehalten. Mehr als 300 Gäste nahmen daran teil.

    Der Anlass bot den Gästen der FRZ Flughafenregion Zürich und der Limmatstadt die Möglichkeit, den neuen Tunnel vor der offiziellen Inbetriebnahme zu besichtigen. Zu Beginn sprachen Jasmina Ritz von der Standortförderung Limmatstadt und Christoph Lang von der FRZ Flughafenregion Zürich. Eine Grussansprache hielten auch Ernst Stocker, Regierungspräsident des Kantons Zürich, und Jürg Röthlisberger, der Direktor des Bundesamts für Strassen. Nach den Grussbotschaften und Informationen hatten die Gäste Gelegenheiten zur Besichtigung der neuen Tunnelröhre und danach zum Gespräch beim Steh-Lunch an der Regensdorfer Seite des Tunnels.

    Sponsoren des Anlasses waren das Bauunternehmen Basler & Hofmann, die auf Elektroinstallation und Gebäudetechnik spezialisierte Firma ETAVIS  und die Gottlieber Spezialitäten AG. An der Veranstaltung wurde das alkoholfreie Bier von Chopfab Boxer angeboten. Das Kreativkonzept und die Durchführung lagen in den Händen von Aroma. Am Samstag, 15. April, folgte das Tunnelfest für die Bevölkerung auf beiden Portalseiten in Regensdorf und Weiningen.

    Die Bauarbeiten an der dritten Röhre des Gubristtunnels dauerten von November 2017 bis April 2023. Zum Projekt heisst auf der ASTRA-Internetseite, die Nordumfahrung Zürich gehöre zu den am stärksten befahrenen Strassenabschnitten der Schweiz. Mehr als 120‘000 Fahrzeuge rollen täglich zwischen dem Limmattalerkreuz und der Verzweigung Zürich Nord.

    Zur Bildergalerie.

  • Strabag opens first site in western Switzerland

    Strabag opens first site in western Switzerland

    The construction company Strabag AG from Schlieren is expanding into western Switzerland. A new site was opened in Morges on the northern shore of Lake Geneva on Wednesday, 12 April. According to a press release, the company will offer special civil engineering services, including excavation work, large and small-scale drilling, sheet piling, dewatering and well construction.

    The first project to be realised is the Viaduc de Malley tramway project for Tramway Lausannois. Strabag is laying the foundations for the piers and abutments of the rail track. For this, 32 large bore piles with a diameter of 130 centimetres and a depth of up to 17 metres are being installed.

    “With the expansion of our special civil engineering to Morges, we are extending our reach and competencies to western Switzerland. Close local cooperation with clients and partners is planned,” Günter Moser, technical director of Strabag AG, is quoted as saying. The construction company already has 20 locations in German-speaking Switzerland. The parent company Strabag SE is active worldwide, with a focus on Europe, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region, Africa and Australia.

    Enquiries from French-speaking Switzerland have increased recently, according to Strabag. “We have already carried out a number of projects in the region in the past and have positioned ourselves successfully,” Mike Albinus, commercial division manager for special civil engineering, is quoted as saying.

  • Sustainable building follows cantonal regulations

    Sustainable building follows cantonal regulations

    Due to the constitutional responsibility of the cantons, there are different regulations in this area throughout Switzerland. For this reason, the Conference of Cantonal Energy Directors (EnDK) has adopted the Model Cantonal Energy Regulations (MuKEn) of 2014, which aim at the greatest possible harmonisation and thus simplification of construction planning and the corresponding approval procedures.

    We have analysed how close the implementation of selected cantonal sustainability regulations are according to MuKEn. The complete analysis can be downloaded here. The evaluation shows: Basel-City, Lucerne, Jura and Fribourg orient their energy legislation relatively closely to the model regulations and in some cases even go beyond them. At the other end are Aargau, Uri and Zug, where corresponding implementation is in the planning stage, and Solothurn, which will have the fewest regulations in the foreseeable future.

    The setting: cantonal responsibility, intercantonal coordination
    According to the Federal Constitution, energy policy in the building sector is the responsibility of the cantons. They are thus empowered to define and implement their own energy and climate policy goals within the framework of federal law.

    This allocation of tasks makes perfect sense: cantonal authorities are very familiar with the infrastructure, the population and the sensitivities of their region. They can thus plan and implement building law measures in an appropriate, efficient and broadly supported manner.

    However, the result is also a structure of different regimes with different characteristics and emphases. This sometimes causes confusion among real estate players operating on a supra-regional level. Since economies of scale are made more difficult, the federalist division of roles leads to efficiency losses.

    Politicians have also understood this. In the competent cantonal conferences, the responsible cantonal councillors and experts therefore develop and coordinate common energy and climate policy goals and strategies, which they laid down, for example, in the already mentioned MuKEn 2014.

    Detailed information at https://www.wuestpartner.com/ch-de/2023/03/24/nachhaltiges-bauen-folgt-kantonalen-regelungen/

  • Nominees for Building Award have been determined

    Nominees for Building Award have been determined

    The Building Award jury has nominated 22 projects for the fifth edition of the award, according to a press release. It will be presented on 15 June at the KKL Luzern and rewards innovative engineering achievements in construction. The prize is backed by the bilding Foundation, Infra Suisse, the Swiss Association of Consulting Engineers and the Swiss Association of Master Builders.

    In the structural engineering category, the gasometer in Schlieren is one of the nominated projects. It was built in 1899 and is now infested with rust. Now, however, it has been surrounded by a protective structure. It consists of a wooden structure covered with a membrane. This required only minimal intervention in the existing structure.

    In the Energy Systems and Building Technology category, for example, Limeco ‘s new power-to-gas plant in Dietikon is among the nominees. It uses renewable electricity from the local waste recycling plant to produce hydrogen. This is mixed with the CO2 in the sewage gas from the wastewater treatment plant, which is also local, to produce renewable methane gas.

    In the category of research, development and start-ups, TTS Inova AG from Thayngen is one of the nominees. It convinced the jury with its geothermal probe made of textiles. According to the company, the probe is food-compatible and uses only drinking water as a heat transfer fluid. This means it can also be used in areas with groundwater reserves, because there is no danger of contaminating the groundwater. The probe can be used at depths of up to 500 metres.

    All 22 nominated companies and projects can be viewed online.

  • Bauen+Wohnen Aargau begins on 20 April

    Bauen+Wohnen Aargau begins on 20 April

    The spring fair Bauen+Wohnen Aargau will be held again this year at the Tägi Wettingen and will last four days. It begins on Thursday, 20 April, and lasts until Sunday, 23 April. According to the organisers, around 200 exhibitors will take part. Last year, more than 14,000 interested people visited the fair. There will be an extensive fair programme, special shows and expert lectures on the topics of building, living, garden and energy. The Fair is aimed at homeowners, people interested in building, planners and architects.

    In the special show on charging power and electric mobility, solutions for charging infrastructures in detached houses and apartment buildings will be presented. In the forum, independent advisors will provide information on producing one’s own electricity, home charging stations and switching to e-mobility. The Architecture Forum is an event for architects, planners, representatives of the public sector, building owners, investors and people interested in building. It is about circular architecture and circular construction. There will also be the Photovoltaics and Storage Forum and an initial consultation for homeowners by energieberatungAARGAU, as well as several specialist lectures.

    At Bau+Wohnen there will be a homeowner’s fair, presentations on “Kitchen without Borders” and on “Security at Home”, with ideas for alarm systems, IP camera surveillance, access control and fire alarm systems and safes for valuables protection.

    The fair is open from 1 to 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

  • Window manufacturer 4B achieves highest net sales in its history

    Window manufacturer 4B achieves highest net sales in its history

    The window and façade manufacturer 4B, headquartered in Hochdorf, achieved the highest net sales in its company history in the 2022 business year. Despite a slightly lower order volume of 191 million Swiss francs, the traditional company was able to increase net sales by 14.7 per cent to 204.2 million Swiss francs, according to a media release.

    According to the statement, 4B’s supply chains proved to be “pleasingly crisis-resistant” even in times of an “extremely difficult geopolitical situation” due to the Ukraine war. The reason for this is the company’s focus on suppliers from Switzerland and nearby European countries.

    This ensured a high level of supply security, prevented production stoppages and “positively mastered the 2022 business year”, CEO Jean-Marc Devaud is quoted as saying. He did not provide any information on profits.

    Furthermore, the company invested more in 2022. Thus, investment activities increased by 45.5 per cent to 4.8 million Swiss francs. By commissioning new equipment, it was able to reduce the time it takes to produce an order by more than two days.

    It also reportedly made progress in the areas of digitalisation and automation. Instead of paper folders, employees now use iPads on construction sites. This allows them to organise building inspections more efficiently. Quotations for window renovations can also be calculated more quickly and easily during the first consultation.

    In addition, the company moved into its eleventh location in 2022. It is located in Wallisellen ZH. At the end of 2022, 4B employed 703 people in Switzerland.

  • Holcim and Norman Foster Foundation build sustainable refugee accommodation

    Holcim and Norman Foster Foundation build sustainable refugee accommodation

    Zug-based building materials manufacturer Holcim and the Madrid-based Norman Foster Foundation are teaming up on an architectural project called Essential Homes. A prototype of the houses will be on display in original size at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale from 17 May, according to a media release. This is already the second cooperation for both partners.

    The Norman Foster Foundation designed the Essential Homes using building materials from Holcim. The low-carbon ECOPact concrete and the water-permeable Hydromedia concrete were used. Thermal and acoustic insulation is provided by Elevate panels and Airium foam from the building materials manufacturer.

    Overall, Essential Homes distributed communities are expected to provide up to 20 years of safety, comfort and weather resistance. “At Holcim, we want sustainable buildings to be accessible to all, improving living standards while creating a net-zero future,” Jan Jenisch, CEO at Holcim, is quoted as saying in the media release. It was therefore natural to agree to the cooperation when the founder of the foundation and British architect, Baron Norman Foster, and his team approached Holcim.

    This is already the second joint project for the Norman Foster Foundation and Holcim at the Venice Architecture Biennale. In the first collaboration, they jointly developed a hangar for drones that distribute medical supplies in Africa.

    The prototype of the Essential Homes will be installed in the Marinaressa Gardens in Venice. A complementary exhibition will be on display at Palazzo Mora.

  • Halter AG wins tender for ewb site

    Halter AG wins tender for ewb site

    The real estate developer Halter from Schlieren has won the tender for the development of the ewb site in Bern’s Ausserholligen district. A “sustainable, lively and diversely mixed working and living environment” is to be created there, according to a media release.

    According to the statement, the Halter team’s plans call for three high-rise buildings on the site, which was previously used primarily for industrial purposes, between the Weyermannshaus sports and leisure facility and Europaplatz. One high-rise is to become the new ewb headquarters. In the other two buildings, the newly founded Viadukt cooperative plans to house 220 flats.

    Public transport as well as pedestrian and bicycle traffic will be given priority over private motorised transport. This will be ensured, among other things, by three S-Bahn stops as well as trams and buses.

    The electricity for the neighbourhood will come from photovoltaic systems on roofs and facades. Foundation piles, groundwater and waste heat sources are to be used for local heat and cold production and storage.

    “The concept of the winning project gives us the opportunity to realise our new headquarters in a newly created environment that meets the high sustainability standards of the city of Bern and ewb,” said Cornelia Mellenberger, CEO of ewb, according to a media release at the presentation of the winning project on 3 April in the presence of Mayor Alec von Graffenried and other stakeholders.

    All the competition projects can be viewed at the Forsthaus energy centre from 22 to 26 May.

  • Merz Group to be integrated into Eberhard Holding

    Merz Group to be integrated into Eberhard Holding

    Merz Gruppe Holding AG, based in Gebenstorf and active in the earthworks, building materials, logistics and recycling business, is to be incorporated into Eberhard Holding in Kloten. According to a media release from both companies, the takeover at Merz was prepared for a long time. Two years ago, the owner family decided to look for a future-oriented succession solution. A preferred partner was found in the family-owned company Eberhard.

    The takeover will take place on 1 April 2023 and the Merz name will remain within the Eberhard Group. The 70 employees will continue to be employed. Eberhard is “convinced of the potential of the Merz Group and will continue to invest in the proven locations”, CEO Martin Eberhard is quoted as saying.

    The modern site in Kloten offers ideal conditions for the expansion of the circular economy, which is one of Eberhard’s core competencies, the statement said. The plant in Gebenstorf will play an important role in supplying the region with ecologically beneficial building materials.

    In Eberhard, Merz has found a new owner who shares the principles and culture of the family business, according to Thomas Merz. The previous owner and chairman of the board of directors will be available to Eberhard Unternehmungen in a new capacity. “The closing of ranks enables a healthy further development of our locations, which is also good news for our employees and customers.”

  • Hug Baustoffe takes over Stauffacher Beläge

    Hug Baustoffe takes over Stauffacher Beläge

    Hug Baustoffe AG has acquired Stauffacher Beläge GmbH, based in Lachen in the canton of Schwyz. According to a media release, the acquisition represents a logical step for the building materials trader in its expansion around Lake Zurich. “Through the acquisition, we are expanding our local presence with the well-known showroom and personal advice,” Managing Director Dominik Rieder is quoted as saying.

    The full-range retailer stocks 500,000 articles for private as well as public-commercial new construction and renovation projects. At ten locations, Hug operates craftsmen’s shops, building materials warehouses, bathroom and tile exhibitions for interior fittings, as well as a large-scale gardening exhibition at its headquarters. In addition to the building materials range, machines and tools are sold and rented out.

    Hug takes over all employees of Stauffacher Beläge GmbH. The wholesaler has made a name for itself with its selection of high-quality ceramic wall and floor tiles, facades and parquet. The company advises private builders and developers as well as architects, tilers and general contractors on floor and wall concepts tailored to interior and exterior spaces.

    Customers benefit from the “alliance”, which allows access to new product lines. “In terms of advice, we are now reinforced by the large team of experts at Hug Baustoffe AG,” Edith Stauffacher, owner of Stauffacher Beläge since 2015, is quoted as saying in the press release.

  • Holcim sets itself more ambitious climate targets

    Holcim sets itself more ambitious climate targets

    Holcim documents the progress it has made on its climate strategy in its second climate report, which has just been published. With this report, the company, one of the world’s largest producers of building materials, also announces its accelerated climate targets, according to a media release.

    These have been updated in line with the 1.5 degree framework of the Scienced Based Targets Initiative, according to sustainability and innovation chief Magali Anderson. Holcim wants to be “a pioneer in low-carbon and circular construction”.

    According to the report, Holcim has increased its investment in green technologies by 15 per cent to 403 million Swiss francs in 2022. As a result, the group reportedly reduced its CO2 emissions per unit of net sales by 21 per cent. this is expected to increase by a further 10 percent in 2023.

    Furthermore, Holcim commits to invest a cumulative CHF 2 billion in mature technologies for capturing CO2 from the air by 2030. This should remove more than 5 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere per year.

    6.8 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste recycled into new buildings. With this interim result, the company is expected to exceed its target of achieving around 10 million tonnes by 2025. “We are committed,” says CEO Jan Jenisch, “to driving low-carbon and circular construction and using buildings more sustainably to build cities that work for people and the planet.”

    This second climate report will be submitted to the General Assembly for a vote on 4 May. According to the statement, this reflects Holcim’s commitment to giving its shareholders a say in its climate strategy.

  • Burkhalter buys Bötschi Holding

    Burkhalter buys Bötschi Holding

    Burkhalter Group has acquired the building technology company Bötschi Holding. According to a media release from the Zurich-based service provider for heating and cooling, ventilation and air conditioning, sanitary and electrical engineering, the takeover is in pursuit of the expansion of its technology fields of sanitary, heating and ventilation in the cantons of Thurgau and St.Gallen. With the transaction, the subsidiaries Bötschi AG Feuer Luft Wasser, Angele AG Feuer Luft Wasser and Perl-Pool AG also join the Burkhalter Group.

    Burkhalter is taking over all 65 employees of the family-owned company based in Mauren and Bronschhofen. Its annual turnover in its core business of plumbing, heating and ventilation amounts to CHF 19 million. The companies will retain their company names and management.

    The purchase price will be settled in cash and by means of registered shares of Burkhalter Holding AG. For this purpose, the creation of 47,682 registered shares from authorised capital is planned. They are to be traded from the beginning or middle of May. The seller has undertaken not to sell the registered shares received from the sale for a period of two years.

    The service provider for heating and cooling, ventilation and air conditioning, sanitary and electrical engineering employs 4600 people at 150 locations in 80 companies.

  • Hächler builds with sustainable raw materials in Baden

    Hächler builds with sustainable raw materials in Baden

    Hächler has been commissioned by the city of Baden to build a wooden floor grate on Stadtturmstrasse. According to a statement by the Wettingen-based construction company, the use of regional materials was important to the city of Baden.

    Hächler AG Holzbau decided on larch wood as the building material, according to the statement written by Benjamin Schwitter, Hächler’s construction manager for timber construction. There is only a limited selection and availability of durable and suitable woods in the domestic tree population. Hächler was able to select the larch trunks from the Surbtal forestry operation itself. The larches thus grew less than 15 kilometres away from the site of operation.

    The selected logs were cut and dried in the sawmill in Leuggern. The logs were then processed into finished floor boards in the hall at Hächler. The planks were made of particularly stable rift or half-rift wood. From this, elements with a thickness of four centimetres, screwed from below, were produced for a durable floor grid.

    The added value for the production of the wooden gratings took place exclusively in the region, from the forestry operation to the sawmill to production and assembly, says Schwitter. This and the short distances led to a sustainable end result in the realisation of the order from the city of Baden.

  • Steiner relies on integrated project management

    Steiner relies on integrated project management

    From now on, Steiner AG will realise all complex large-scale projects by means of integrated project delivery (IPD), the Zurich-based real estate developer informs in a press release. This method relies on close cooperation between all those involved in the project. They not only share the risks of the project, but also all participate in its success. In this way, the success of the project is to take centre stage and the “silo thinking” characterised by self-interest is to be replaced by the common goal of finding the best for the project.

    The first project is the Zukunftspforte Menziken. Steiner is building a development with around 180 rental and owner-occupied flats as well as commercial space on a 10,700 square metre former industrial site in the centre of the Aargau municipality of Menziken. The alliance partners for general planning, the planning of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical as well as for civil engineering, electrical execution, landscape architecture and shell construction have already been won by client Steiner for the implementation of the project. Two more for construction management envelope and finishing as well as for heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and plumbing are still being sought. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025.

  • Zurich Cantonal Council approves credit for new UZH centre

    Zurich Cantonal Council approves credit for new UZH centre

    The Zurich Cantonal Council has approved the property loan for the new FORUM UZH education and research centre. The loan is estimated at 598 million Swiss francs, minus 1.3 million Swiss francs for art in construction, according to a media release. The new building is to become the most important central location of the University of Zurich in the centre of the city.

    As a modern counterpart to the historic main building, the FORUM UZH is of “central importance” for the future development of the university, the UZH said. “The cantonal council has made a forward-looking decision so that Zurich’s higher education area can continue to develop,” Michael Schaepman, rector of UZH, is quoted as saying in the statement.

    The new building will create 37,000 square metres of urgently needed additional space for research and teaching an increasing number of students. More than 700 student workplaces are planned. A total of 6000 people will be able to study, research and work on nine floors.

    The space concept according to plans by architects Herzog & de Meuron is to correspond to the latest forms of learning and teaching and offer ideal conditions for exchange between teaching staff, researchers and students. The design of the lecture halls, for example, is much more strongly oriented towards cooperation and group work than before. Modern workplaces for research are also planned.

    The next step for UZH is to prepare a building application. It plans to submit it to the city of Zurich in autumn. If planning permission is granted by spring 2024, construction can begin in autumn 2024. Completion is planned for the end of 2029.

  • Walo realises environment project in the Westfeld Basel neighbourhood

    Walo realises environment project in the Westfeld Basel neighbourhood

    The Dietiker construction company Walo Bertschinger has completed the work on the landscaping of the new Westfeld neighbourhood in Basel. According to a media release on LinkedIn, this environmental project includes the entire outdoor space, plus a narrow Allmend area along Hegenheimerstrasse and part of the area surrounding the Felix Platter Hospital.

    The surrounding project realised by Walo consists largely of publicly accessible areas. Beyond the site, the works complement the open space and footpath offer to connect and revitalise the neighbourhood. The work includes 23,000 square metres of terrain modelling, 8,000 square metres of paving, a fountain and seven tree troughs made of natural stone, the furnishing and all the work on the 2900-metre-long utility lines.

    The forum now stretches between the newly built Felix Platter Hospital and the new Westfeld building and flows into the neighbourhood square in front of the converted hospital building. There is a “carpet” of natural stone slabs there. In contrast to the stone forum and the neighbourhood square, the neighbourhood garden, which has also been laid out, is mainly green and covered with trees.

    Since 2015, a showcase project for a trend-setting residential building culture has been created around the old hospital, which has now been converted into residential space, according to Walo’s statement. More than 500 cooperative flats have been built on the approximately 35,000-square-metre plot, of which around 400 are on the part of the site earmarked for new buildings and around 130 in the converted hospital building. There is also space for neighbourhood uses, services and small businesses. The building cooperative wohnen&mehr has published a video clip on the project.