immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Greencity

  • New home for senior citizens Greencity 2026

    New home for senior citizens Greencity 2026

    A visionary residential project is being built in the south of Zurich that offers older people a lively and safe environment. The development on construction site B6 in Greencity combines private and municipal involvement. Losinger Marazzi AG is developing the project for the investment foundations of Pensimo Management AG, which are providing a total of 179 flats for older people. Of these, the City of Zurich Retirement Homes Foundation (SAW) will take over 60 flats, while the remaining 119 flats will be let by Pensimo to tenants aged 55 and over. This collaboration represents a new partnership and gives all tenants access to SAW’s services.

    A green centrepiece for Greencity
    Construction site B6 is the latest chapter in the sustainable development of the Greencity district. Since 2014, Losinger Marazzi has been transforming the site of the former Sihl paper factory into Switzerland’s first 2000-watt site. The inner courtyard of the new building will feature green areas, trees and seating, inviting people to linger. Arcades on the ground floor create sheltered access areas to commercial spaces, which could offer facilities such as a medical centre, a fitness studio, a bakery or a café on 3,500 square metres, says René Büchi, the portfolio manager responsible at Pensimo.

    Comprehensive services from SAW
    The City of Zurich Retirement Homes Foundation provides all tenants with a comprehensive service package. This includes a 24-hour emergency call service, extended caretaking, laundry service, social services and various events on the estate. If required, tenants can also take advantage of home help and outpatient care services. Andrea Martin-Fischer, Director of SAW, emphasises: “Our aim is to enable tenants to live independently and safely well into old age.”

    Focus on sustainability
    Greencity’s sustainability goals are consistently applied to the new retirement housing project. Herbert Heinen, Project Manager at Losinger Marazzi, explains: “An optimised load-bearing structure, lightweight walls, a wooden façade and an energy concept with 100 percent renewable energy significantly reduce CO2 emissions and bring the building close to the net-zero target in operation.” Pensimo and Losinger Marazzi are also aiming for certification with the SNBS Gold label. Construction started in March 2024 and the building, designed by JSWD Architekten from Cologne, is scheduled for completion at the end of 2026.

    With this pioneering project, Greencity is setting new standards for sustainable, age-appropriate living and demonstrating how private and public partnerships can create forward-looking solutions.

  • Greencity Vergé sets new standards in sustainability

    Greencity Vergé sets new standards in sustainability

    Vergé is more than just a residential project, it is a response to the pressing issues of urban coexistence and ecological responsibility. Located in the south of Zurich on a former industrial site, Vergé stands for the transition to a new understanding of housing that both takes into account the needs of its older residents and actively contributes to the quality of urban life.

    Vergé’s design combines modern architecture with ecological sustainability. By using renewable and lightweight materials, the project not only sets design accents, but also makes an important contribution to reducing the ecological footprint. The design of the inner courtyard as a social meeting place and the careful selection of planting promote biodiversity and offer residents a place of retreat in harmony with nature.

    An often underestimated lever lies in the choice of materials for the interior walls. According to Lennart Rogenhofer, Chief Climate Officer at Losinger Marazzi AG, using non-load-bearing interior walls made of lightweight construction instead of concrete can lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions of around 50%. Similar savings can be achieved if a wooden façade is used instead of a concrete and plaster façade. This is in line with the aim of using sustainable and minimally processed raw materials. Losinger Marazzi has also decided to use CO2-reduced concrete in its projects as far as possible. The reduction in grey emissions with a slimmer supporting structure, which minimises the amount of concrete by optimising the slab thicknesses and column grids, is difficult to quantify. Rogenhofer explains: “This is because no ‘non-optimised’ project exists as a comparison.”. Greencity, with the last building site Vergé, impressively demonstrates that the property sector plays a key role in achieving the climate targets. Through the use of heat recovery technologies and integration into the local heating network, the aim is to achieve a largely autonomous energy supply, with certification in accordance with the SNBS Gold Standard.

    By focussing on sustainable and energy-efficient construction, not only can the quality of life of the residents be improved, but a decisive step towards a more sustainable future can also be taken.

    The project is being built by Losinger Marazzi, which has positioned itself as a pioneer in sustainability in the property and construction industry for almost 20 years and is consistently implementing its climate strategy, which follows the strategy of its parent company Bouygues Construction. The company has been SBTi certified since the end of 2023 and remains a leader in sustainability. This certification confirms that the company’s own CO2 reduction targets for direct and indirect corporate emissions (incl. Scope 3) have been calculated in accordance with international standards (GHG Protocol) and are in line with the Paris climate targets. An external, independent auditing company also verifies that the certified companies achieve their targets not through CO2 offsetting, but through actual CO2 reduction. For this reason, a CO2 reduction pathway was already drawn up in 2021 to guide strategic decisions.