immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: immobilien

  • Avobis builds business location in Hombrechtikon

    Avobis builds business location in Hombrechtikon

    The industrial area in Hombrechtikon’s Eichtal Park is taking its next step in site development: from 2024, the Avobis Group and its two companies Avobis and Rimaplan will build the new OakTec business location there. Around 29,000 square metres of land and 20,000 square metres of usable space will be available for commercial and production operations. An information event will be held on 15 June in Hombrechtikon’s small community hall.

    According to a press release, the concept is based on the idea of offering companies attractive, well-lit and flexibly divisible space. Access and deliveries are possible from an inner courtyard on two accessible levels. This is evidence of a “particularly economical use of land”.

    In general, the building is planned in a sustainable manner, according to David Belart, the client’s representative: “By carefully embedding the building in the terrain, the excavation volume is reduced, all roof surfaces are either greened or use solar energy, the entire energy concept is based on renewable energies, and the green belt in which the site is integrated promotes biodiversity

    Municipal President Rainer Odermatt is behind the project: “We support ‘OakTec’ and would like to further strengthen the Eichtal Park as an important generator of jobs in the region. To this end, we offer an attractive infrastructure and, together with the VZO, very good transport connections.”

    According to information, the project planning work for the building application is currently underway. In addition, according to Avobis, there are currently considerations for a further investment programme on the sub-areas further to the east with the striking existing buildings. They are to be further developed in a sustainable manner.

  • City of Dietikon approves credit of 83 million Swiss francs for school renovations

    City of Dietikon approves credit of 83 million Swiss francs for school renovations

    At its meeting on 4 May, Dietikon ‘s parliament approved a construction loan of CHF 83,372,746 for the Wolfsmatt school building. This means that the renovation and expansion of the aging building can begin next year, according to a media release. The prerequisite is that the voters of Dietikon also approve the project in September.

    The building was constructed in 1962 as a typical pavilion school of the 1950s and 1960s and is now in serious need of renovation. The listed building neither meets the legal requirements nor the demands of modern teaching or the increased number of pupils. Therefore, it is to be renovated and extended by two primary classes, group, after-school and multi-purpose rooms as well as a gymnasium. The existing buildings are to be ready for occupancy in 2028.

    The corresponding plans were drawn up by a general planning team under the leadership of the Zurich architectural firm Bünzli Courvoisier. They won the city’s project competition four years ago from a total of 59 submissions. The winning project, called Im Grünen, “occupies a top position among the competition entries from both an economic and an ecological point of view,” according to a media release. The new buildings will be certified according to the Minergie-ECO standard. In terms of construction costs, it was among the most favourable.

    Im Grünen retains the basic idea of a pavilion school. The cohesive overall architectural effect remains. Extension buildings complement the existing ensemble in a southerly direction. Parallel to the Vogelaustrasse, the new buildings will form a new second entrance to the school complex. The limited existing open space will be preserved.

  • HRS strengthens regional development competence

    HRS strengthens regional development competence

    In line with the new organisational structure, the HRS Executive Board will be expanded. Four Executive Board members are now responsible for the area of site and real estate development in the top operational management body: Michael Breitenmoser for Eastern Switzerland and Ticino; Yves Diacon for Central Eastern and Northwestern Switzerland; Herbert Zaugg, who has just joined HRS, for Central Western Switzerland; and Thierry Müller, as before, for Western Switzerland.

    The rest of the Executive Board remains unchanged. As before, the strategic management of the company is carried out by CEO/owner Martin Kull and COO/owner Rebecca Kull. Peter Keller will continue to be responsible for the finances as CFO.

    Separate Managing Director for IPZ Property AG
    The Generation Project Innovation Park Zurich on the site of the former military airfield in Dübendorf, which is being driven forward by IPZ Property AG and in which HRS is a shareholder, will now be managed as a separate unit by Andrea C. Thöny as Managing Director. He was already responsible for the project as development manager for HRS.

    “We are convinced that this strategically conscious harmonisation will enable us to significantly strengthen our already extensive development competencies in all regions of Switzerland. This offers great advantages for the building owners. It generates synergies in development and construction projects at an early stage and creates more security and speed in the increasingly complex planning and approval processes,” CEO and owner Martin Kull is convinced.

    Michael Breitenmoser, born in 1980, is an architect FH and holds a Master’s degree in Real Estate Management. After working in two architecture firms, he joined HRS in 2011 as project manager for real estate development and, from 2015, head of the real estate development department. In addition to competition management, he is responsible for the development of the Saurer WerkZwei site in Arbon, the “Chez Fritz” high-rise in Buchs, Wankdorfcity 3 in Bern, Bundesplatz in Lucerne, the Stadler Rail Competence Centre in St. Margrethen and centre development on the Gschwend site in Steffisburg.

    Yves Diacon, born in 1986, is a construction economist FH and holds a Master’s degree in Real Estate Management. After three years with another real estate development company, he joined HRS in 2011 as a project manager for real estate development and became head of department for real estate development in 2015, where he was responsible for all investor and overall performance competitions in the Central-East region. His portfolio includes the Ensemble project on the Hardturm site in Zurich, the Rosentalturm in Basel, the Nova Brunnen site development in Ingenbohl, Aere in Aesch and Reinach, the C+D building sites in Regensdorf and Am Schänzli in Muttenz.

    Andrea Claudio Thöny, born 1985, is an architect ETH. After working as an architect and in real estate consulting, he joined HRS in 2018 and has been Head of Real Estate Development since 2020. His focus is on the development of special projects in the field of research and development, commercial and special uses, as well as business development, M&A and restructuring. Since 2019, he has been responsible for the Zurich Innovation Park as overall project manager. Other important projects at HRS were the New Festival Hall at BERNEXPO and the Baden East high-rise.

    Herbert Zaugg, born in 1972, is an HF architecture technician and has completed further training in real estate trusteeship and business administration. He has many years of experience in project development, realisation, refurbishment and the acquisition of development projects up to total service contracts. In his last function of many years, he developed visions and strategies and was responsible with his team on a conceptual and structural level for many acquisitions, real estate and business developments in the Bern Mittelland region. He has been heavily involved in the area of non-profit housing, but also in site development, and is particularly interested in forward-looking forms of living and working.

    Source: www.hrs.ch

  • Green steel makes Forster Campus particularly sustainable

    Green steel makes Forster Campus particularly sustainable

    Forster Profilsysteme is having a new company headquarters built in Romanshorn. There, activities and employees of the two previous locations in Arbon TG are to be combined. The new Forster Campus, covering around 30,000 square metres, will include a production and logistics hall, an office building and a technology centre.

    The building complex is to receive Gold Level certification of the international Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard for ecological building. Only particularly sustainable buildings can receive the highest certification. To achieve this, CO2-reduced steel, so-called green steel, will be used in the construction of the campus.

    Debrunner Acifer AG, a member of the Debrunner Koenig Group in St.Gallen, supplied a total of 600 tonnes of green steel for the Forster Campus. The order thus constitutes the first major project with green steel for the B2B trading partner and service provider in Switzerland. “Of course, conventional steel is also 100 per cent recyclable,” Willi Lüchinger, CEO of Forster Profilsysteme AG, is quoted as saying in a corresponding press release from Debrunner Acifer. “But with the use of CO2-reduced steel, we go one step further in sustainability: thanks to Green Steel, we achieve the LEED Gold level.”

  • Dormakaba becomes new partner of Aareon Connect

    Dormakaba becomes new partner of Aareon Connect

    Rümlang-based security technology company dormakaba is partnering with Aareon Connect, according to a media release. The partner programme was launched by Mainz-based Aareon. It allows external digital solutions and services to be seamlessly connected to Aareon’s ERP systems via a standardised interface and using a uniform data model. ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning and describes business management systems.

    Access specialist dormakaba joins Aareon Connect with its new cloud access management system resivo. “Aareon Connect is more or less an online marketplace,” Alf Tomalla, Director Ecosystem Success at Aareon Group, is quoted as saying. “We want to transfer the way we all obtain software easily and quickly in our private lives via app stores to the property sector.” The goal is to unite the best software solutions in the property industry in a single ecosystem, Tomalla said.

    “The benefits of electronic locking systems, coupled with secure yet user-friendly apps for tenants and managers, offer significant added value for our customers, which we maximise by integrating dormakaba into Aareon’s ERP systems,” Bernd Rütgers, Head of System Sales at dormakaba Deutschland GmbH, is quoted as saying.

    The cloud solution resivo from dormakaba enables simple access management of buildings, according to the statement. With resivo, all access rights can be flexibly organised online. They are managed and assigned from the office.

  • SUIXX Immobilien AG strengthens commercial location Dättwil-Baden

    SUIXX Immobilien AG strengthens commercial location Dättwil-Baden

    SUIXX Immobilien AG from Aargau has been renting out offices, office combinations and entire areas in the Dättwil-Baden business park since January. The Terzo commercial building offers modern offices equipped with ergonomic office furniture and WLAN, as well as relaxation areas and conference rooms on a floor space of around 2600 square metres, informs the company from Untersiggenthal in a statement. With this offer, SUIXX wants to “strengthen the business location Dättwil-Baden and offer regional as well as international companies an attractive company headquarters”, it continues.

    Since the launch, more than 20 Aargau companies have already moved into Terzo, and further companies use the offer on a weekly basis, explains the real estate company. “Despite extensive customisation requests, our office was handed over ready for use and fully equipped within ten days of the initial contact,” the user of the offer, Comexis GmbH, is quoted as saying in the statement. The user of the offer, rmDATA AG, points to the excellent location in terms of transport and the possibility of using conference and meeting rooms. For Nadler Architektur, it was crucial that “the rooms were fit for productive work as promised” from the very first minute.

    Sustainability is part of SUIXX Immobilien’s business model. All of the company’s properties will gradually be equipped with their own solar systems. Where possible, heat pumps will be installed and rainwater will be used. Existing underground garages will be equipped with e-charging stations.

  • FHNW inaugurates Trimble Technology Lab

    FHNW inaugurates Trimble Technology Lab

    The University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland(FHNW) has opened the world’s 25th Trimble Technology Lab at the Muttenz campus. According to a media release, the focus is on planning and geomatics. The technology centre thus offers a complete solution consisting of hardware and software components for teaching, research and training at a central location.

    The research area of architecture, construction and geomatics benefits from a “unique infrastructure”, FHNW professor and project manager Stephan Nebiker is quoted as saying. It brings advantages for geomatics and civil engineering, virtual design and construction (VDC), sustainable construction, planning and architecture.

    The equipment includes augmented reality solutions, GPS systems, innovative robotic total stations and the latest generation of 3D laser scanners, as well as software applications for data management, digital planning and collaboration. Students can use the platform for exchange among themselves, it says.

    Like the Trimble Technology Lab at the FHNW campus inSursee LU, which opened in March 2022 with a focus on construction, the new technology centre was financially supported by the technology company Trimble.

  • 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”.

  • 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.

  • Buildings become energy hubs

    Buildings become energy hubs

    Buildings should contribute to the implementation of the Confederation’s Energy Strategy 2025. The cantons support this through regulations and the promotion of climate-friendly technologies. The goal is to transform buildings into energy hubs, explains the EnDK in a press release. To illustrate this development, the EnDK has launched the new platform energiehub-gebäude.ch. Here, the legal foundations and the status of the implementation of the cantonal building policy are presented and practical examples are given.

    The Conference of Cantonal Energy Offices has also had the effects of the cantonal requirements for heating system replacement analysed on the basis of five selected cantons. EBP Schweiz AG was entrusted with the preparation of a corresponding study, the EnDK informs in a press release on energiehub-gebäude.ch. The results showed that CO2 emissions from buildings have steadily decreased since 1990. The requirements defined in the cantons’ 2014 model energy regulations in the area of heating system replacement were the decisive factor. There, a share of between 10 and 100 per cent of renewable energies is prescribed for residential buildings when replacing heating systems.

    “On average, the regulations in the five cantons led to 90 percent of new heating systems in residential buildings being operated with renewable energy or waste heat,” the statement says. The availability of gas and dense development in urban areas are cited as complicating factors. Despite strong subsidies, financial reasons continue to play a role in the retention of fossil-fuel heating systems.

  • Start-up scene in Knonauer Amt receives support

    Start-up scene in Knonauer Amt receives support

    The Knonauer Amt location development agency supports prospective company founders from the region. Together with the Coachingplus coworking space in Affoltern and the Startzentrum Zurich cooperative, it developed the idea of offering corresponding workshops. The first one has already taken place, and follow-up events are planned.

    The first workshop met with great interest. A total of 40 participants, two-thirds of them women, dealt with the path from idea to business model under the guidance of speaker Nicolas Goetsch, the managing director of the Startzentrum Zurich. According to an article in the “Affolter Anzeiger”, Goetsch encouraged those present to use a visual planning model to deal concretely with their own business ideas, with customer profiles, customer benefits, offer sketches and revenue models. The speaker’s slides can be viewed online.

    For the follow-up date on 29 June, exchange talks are planned on the topic of challenges in setting up a business. Registrations are requested by 22 June. In addition, the location promoter offers personal advice via the Start Centre and Startbox Zurich, a digital start-up guide for setting up a business in the Canton of Zurich.

  • Implenia strengthens its position as industry leader for sustainability

    Implenia strengthens its position as industry leader for sustainability

    Implenia significantly reduced its carbon footprint in 2022, from 62,981 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in absolute terms in the base year 2020 to 50,672 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Even adjusted for turnover, this represents a reduction of 10.5 percent. Implenia has further sharpened the reporting of its carbon footprint. It now includes all markets and all Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, as well as initial key figures for Scope 3 emissions.

    Implenia 2022 has also analysed the entire portfolio of its more than 40 development projects in Switzerland and calculated the carbon footprint. The analysis was based on the SIA energy efficiency path. Significant optimisations were initiated in order to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The results of this portfolio analysis make it possible to identify the most important levers for decarbonisation and to pursue an ambitious decarbonisation strategy. Implenia generates its own solar power with photovoltaic systems on the roofs of plant yards and production facilities. in 2022, this amounted to more than 1.3 gigawatt hours of green electricity, an increase of over 20 per cent compared to the previous year.

    To the full report: https://implenia.com/nachhaltigkeit/nachhaltigkeitsbericht/?utm_source=mm_newsletter_de/link&utm_campaign=sustainabilitycp&utm_medium=row_773

  • Bern is to get the greenest alley in Switzerland

    Bern is to get the greenest alley in Switzerland

    The Institute of Plant Sciences at the University of Bern wants to contribute to coping with climate change and biodiversity loss. To this end, the institute is tackling a project in Bern’s old town together with business partners and residents. Here, the Postgasse, a listed building, is to be transformed into the greenest alley in Switzerland, the University of Bern informs in a statement.

    “We are supporting residents in greening their own windowsills and outdoor areas with suitable plants,” project initiator Matthias Erb is quoted as saying in the statement. Afterwards, the researchers from the University of Bern want to study the effects of greening on the ambient temperature, biodiversity, water balance and quality of life in the Postgasse. “The collected data and experience from this pilot project should help Bern and other cities in the future to increase their sustainability and attractiveness even more quickly and easily,” explains Armin Komposch from the Institute of Plant Sciences.

    The companies Baumschule Gartenpflanzen Daepp, Ricoterand Zollinger Bio are contributing plants, seedlings and soil to the project. Plant containers with automatic irrigation are contributed by Boum AG. The young Bernese company was founded in 2021 as a spin-off of the University of Bern.

    The official start of the project is a planting day on 6 May. Here, interested residents can pick up plants, soil and pots to green the Postgasse as they see fit. The residents themselves are to take over the subsequent maintenance.

  • 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.

  • Seize new business opportunities by activating dormant equity.

    Seize new business opportunities by activating dormant equity.

    Until now, real estate investors who wanted to realise a construction project usually turned to traditional capital providers, especially banks. “But the need for alternative forms of financing has been growing for years,” explains Kevin Hinder, Co-Founder and CEO of Property One. There are many reasons for this: “One decisive factor has to do with the fact that it is becoming increasingly difficult to access capital given the increasingly complex situation on the real estate market.” In the worst case, this leads to temporary financing gaps that can jeopardise the launch and completion of projects. The challenge for professional real estate investors is therefore to actually be able to seize the market opportunities that present themselves. “These opportunities are still absolutely present in the Swiss real estate market,” Hinder emphasises. The local industry is confronted with an enormous shortage of living space in the short and medium term, and the supply is disproportionate to the increasing demand. “Although the market is yearning for new projects, so to speak, there is a lack of the necessary funds as well as often a lack of flexibility to seize the opportunities that arise.“

    Opening up alternative paths to success
    Property One Investors AG has created the ONE Real Estate Debt Fund to remedy this situation. This fund gives professional players in the Swiss real estate market, such as owners, architects and project developers, access to an alternative financing option. Specifically, the fund grants subordinated loans that are secured by promissory notes. The commonly known “second mortgage”, so to speak. Property One’s corporate DNA comes into its own here: “Our fundamental expertise and experience come from the world of real estate,” Kevin Hinder explains. Thanks to this expertise as well as a profound understanding of the market, it is possible to create attractive, real estate-based financing solutions for clients. “We understand the language of our borrowers.”

    The possibilities of the subordinated loans from the ONE Real Estate Debt Fund are accordingly diverse: In addition to bridging financing bottlenecks, the funds also optimise the bank’s own capital structure and return on equity. Consequently, additional equity is released for further market opportunities. “In addition, we are extremely flexible in terms of the general conditions regarding repayment modalities, interest repayments and project progress, as long as we always receive a debt certificate on a Swiss property,” explains Hinder. As an institution subject to FINMA supervision, Property One Investors AG ensures at all times that all framework conditions are complied with and that all loan requests are thoroughly examined and assessed.

    A proven tool
    Critics of subordinated real estate loans often cite the – supposedly high – interest costs incurred as a counter-argument to this financing approach. For Kevin Hinder, this justification is not valid. “Subordinated real estate loans are a flexible catalyst for new market opportunities, which has a market price and enables further investment opportunities for borrowers.” For this very reason, he said, the form of financing established itself as a proven financing tool in Europe, the UK as well as the US years ago. “Our track record also speaks for itself,” Kevin Hinder emphasises. The figures prove him right: in the last two years, more than 250 million Swiss francs have been moved through the ONE Real Estate Debt Fund. During this time, there were no loan defaults and the investments generated a net return of around 6% per year. “We were thus able to establish ourselves with our fund as a sustainable business booster for local real estate professionals and arrange win-win situations.”

    Anyone who would also like to benefit from this boost can contact the experts at Property One Investors AG at any time.

    Further information can be found at finance.propertyone.ch

    The information in this document has been prepared with the greatest of care and in good faith and is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Opinions and assessments contained in this document are subject to change and reflect the viewpoint of Property One Investors AG (POI). No liability is accepted for the accuracy and completeness of the information. Past performance is not indicative of current or future performance. This document is marketing material. Furthermore, this information is intended exclusively for qualified investors within the meaning of Art. 10 para. 3 and 3ter of the Collective Investment Schemes Act (CISA) domiciled in Switzerland.

    About Property One Investors AG
    The owner-managed company was established in 2013. It is a specialised provider in the real estate and investment segment. Its focus is on the asset classes of real estate and private real estate. Since December 2020, Property One Investors AG has been authorised to manage collective assets and is subject to supervision by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).

  • Data protection and real estate – more topical than ever before

    Data protection and real estate – more topical than ever before

    What is data protection and what is not?
    There is no regulation on the handling of factual data, such as the use of defined data formats or specifications on data consistency in construction projects. Unfortunately, such a regulation is largely lacking today, ultimately to the detriment of property owners. The Data Protection Act (DSG) regulates the processing of personal data by private individuals and companies, among others. In principle, every person should be able to determine the use of their data themselves. Swiss data protection law is designed in such a way that the processing of personal data by private individuals is generally permitted, provided that the principles laid down in the FADP (e.g. purpose limitation, data minimisation) are observed. The revised FADP will enter into force on 1 September 2023. In a real estate cycle, there are numerous starting points for handling personal data. Some areas are highlighted below:

    Marketing by estate agents
    Through their activities, estate agents come into contact with interested parties whose customer and personal data they process. Brokers are therefore now legally obliged to draw up a data protection declaration. In it, they must inform the data subject, among other things, about what data is collected or processed for what purpose, what the processing modalities are and what rights he or she is entitled to. The declaration can be published on the website or in the GTC. If tenant profiles are used for the sales process, caution is required. Either personal data must be blacked out or the tenants must explicitly agree to the disclosure to prospective buyers or the tenancy agreements contain clauses that allow the disclosure in the sales process.

    Management data
    Data is often processed as part of the management process: Tenant checks before conclusion of the contract, user data on the operation of a property, data from access controls (outside the property or to the tenant unit), network data, electronic concierge or smart solutions offered by the landlord (such as tablets in rented rooms, smart homes, etc.). The DPA creates an obligation for every service provider to account for the data they process and to ensure that it is handled in accordance with the law. It is therefore recommended to conduct an individualised data protection analysis. Such an analysis must take into account, among other things, the specific circumstances and data flows, the type of data and service provision, as well as the storage locations. The tenants must be informed of all processing of their personal data, unless there is a corresponding basis in the tenancy agreement.

    Offer abroad
    If offers for sale are also made to persons in the EU area, the provisions of the European Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) must be observed. These are much stricter in some points than the regulations of the DSG. If necessary, the use of geo-blockers should be examined.

    Seidel & Partner Rechtsanwälte AG specialises in legal issues for construction, planning and real estate. Our focus is on value-added and solution-oriented support for SMEs, investors, cooperatives and authorities. We strive for economically sensible solutions; litigation typical of lawyers is only a last resort for us.

    Contact
    Dr. Wolf S. Seidel &
    Lic. iur. Simon Kohler
    Seidel & Partner Rechtsanwälte AG
    Balz-Zimmermann-Strasse 7
    8302 Kloten
    Phone 044 590 20 12
    info@seidelpartner.ch
    www.seidelpartner.ch

  • New housing construction lags behind population growth

    New housing construction lags behind population growth

    Across Switzerland, around a quarter less new residential space is being built than a few years ago. In view of the rising population, there is a threat of an undersupply of urgently needed new residential construction, according to a media release from Zürcher Kantonalbank(ZKB) on the new study of its real estate research.

    The study cites a declining number of building applications as reasons for the slowdown in construction activity. On average, it takes 140 days from planning application to approval in the country, which corresponds to an increase of 67 percent compared to 2010. Those who want to build wait the longest in densely populated regions. The time span for the canton of Zurich, for example, is given as almost 200 days, which corresponds to an increase of 136 percent compared to the year of comparison and a waiting time of almost one year. The negative front-runner is the canton of Geneva, where 500 days pass before a housing project is approved.

    Furthermore, high construction requirements make it difficult to create new housing quickly. Appeals also contribute to the slowdown in the new construction sector. The real estate research is based on a study of actually realised new housing projects, according to which every tenth approved housing project was not realised in 2010 and the rental housing market is lacking 4000 flats per year.

    In the latest issue of Immobilien aktuell, the Zürcher Kantonalbank provides data-based facts and analyses on the topic of housing shortage. In a further article, new housing construction is compared to a hurdle race.

  • Pensimo publishes study on the Swiss housing market

    Pensimo publishes study on the Swiss housing market

    Pensimo Management AG in Zurich, which specialises in real estate investments, is publishing the book “The Swiss Housing Market”, according to a statement on LinkedIn. Michel Schneider, deputy CEO and head of Mandates Switzerland & International, describes the publication as the first solid, economic “outline” of the Swiss housing market. The analysis of the history and present of housing construction and the housing market in Switzerland was written by Frank Bodmer, private lecturer at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Basel.

    The 144-page brochure is published by Park Books in Zurich. It presents a great deal of statistical material in eleven chapters and with numerous diagrams. It traces lines of development and analyses the economic, social and regulatory framework conditions. “Now that the super cycle is over, the volume comes at the ‘right’ time,” says Schneider.

    The real estate markets have been in the headlines internationally for many years. The current price level in Switzerland also raises fears of a new real estate crisis and restricts access to home ownership for large sections of the middle class, according to the content of the Bodmer study on the website of the publisher Park Books. It is true that the rental housing market has avoided the distortions of earlier growth phases. Nevertheless, political interventions could have a detrimental effect and endanger the supply of a growing population with high-quality housing.

    The Zurich-based Pensimo Management AG invests in valuable real estate on behalf of four investment foundations, mainly in Switzerland but also abroad.

  • Raiffeisen sieht robusten Markt für Wohneigentum

    Raiffeisen sieht robusten Markt für Wohneigentum

    Der Markt für selbstgenutztes Wohneigentum präsentiert sich laut dem von Raiffeisen Schweiz ermittelten Transaktionspreisindex im ersten Quartal 2023 robust. So hat Stockwerkeigentum um 2,4 Prozent angezogen im Vergleich zum Vorquartal. Für ein Einfamilienhaus mussten zuletzt 0,3 Prozent weniger bezahlt werden. Im Jahresvergleich sind die Preise für Stockwerkeigentum um 7,5 Prozent gestiegen. Für Einfamilienhäuser ergab sich ein Anstieg um 6,1 Prozent.

    Analysten gehen von einer Abschwächung der Preisdynamik für selbstgenutzte Wohnimmobilien aus. „Preiseinbrüche, wie sie teilweise im Ausland zu beobachten sind, bleiben jedoch unwahrscheinlich, zu knapp ist hierzulande das Angebot“, wird Francis Schwartz, Ökonom bei Raiffeisen Schweiz, in einer Medienmitteilung zum jüngsten Transaktionspreisindex der Genossenschaftsbankengruppe zitiert.

    Nach Regionen betrachtet weist Stockwerkeigentum in der Region Genfersee die höchste Teuerung (+8,7 Prozent) gegenüber dem Vorjahr auf. Die Westschweiz verzeichnete im selben Zeitraum die geringsten Preisanstiege (+4,7 Prozent). Bei Einfamilienhäusern wurde der höchste Preisdruck in der Innerschweiz (+14,7 Prozent) und der Ostschweiz (+14,1 Prozent) festgestellt. In Zürich (+2,1 Prozent) und der Südschweiz (+3,1 Prozent) lag die Teuerungsrate tiefer.

    Die Aufschlüsselung der Preisentwicklung auf Gemeindetypen zeigt eine hohe Nachfrage nach Eigentum in Zentren und urbanen Gemeinden. So verzeichneten Häuser in urbanen Gemeinden gegenüber dem Vorjahr einen höheren Preisanstieg (+7,5 Prozent) als Objekte in anderen Gemeindetypen. Eigentumswohnungen wurden vor allem in Zentrumsgemeinden (+8,5 Prozent) teurer. Den geringsten Anstieg der Hauspreise (+5 Prozent) hat die Erhebung für touristische Gemeinden ergeben.

  • Zurich Opera House plans major extension

    Zurich Opera House plans major extension

    The Zurich Opera House needs more space for its approximately 800 employees. The solid reinforced concrete extension built in 1984 is no longer sufficient. According to a statement by Opernhaus Zürich AG, there is an additional space requirement of 60 per cent. It refers to a study by the German theatre planner Kunkel Consulting.

    The structural engineering office of the Canton of Zurich is examining whether the existing extension building can be raised. The study should be available in autumn. In any case, the new extension is to “attract international attention with its site-specific and visionary architecture as a model in terms of energy efficiency, sustainability and resource-saving construction methods”, according to the statement. An additional laboratory stage is also planned. Construction would take place in the first half of the 1930s at the earliest.

    The opera house itself is also to be renovated. The seating and technical systems are to be renewed and barrier-free access created.

    A temporary structure is to be erected on the roof of the extension building as early as summer 2024. The design comes from the Zurich architectural firm EM2N.

    “One aim of the structural development is to remedy the fundamental deficiencies of the property so that the opera house can continue to fulfil its mission,” Markus Notter, Chairman of the Board of Directors Opernhaus AG, is quoted as saying in the statement. “In order to be able to maintain and expand this standard, the listed opera house and the adjacent extension building … must be renovated – in terms of energy and operations.”

  • Immoleo offers 600 properties in Spain

    Immoleo offers 600 properties in Spain

    The Dietiker real estate company Immoleo GmbH is expanding its portfolio, according to a media release. Properties in Spain are now being offered for sale. Immoleo is not entering the rental market. The almost 600 houses, flats and plots of land in the new offer are located on the Mediterranean coasts of the mainland as well as on the Balearic and Canary Islands. On its special website with the new offer, Immoleo describes itself as the market leader with 583 Spanish properties.

    The offers are located on the three coastal sections Costa Blanca around Valencia, Costa Calida near Murcia and on the Costa del Sol in Andalusia with a focus on Marbella. Further properties are offered on Mallorca, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote.

    Immoleo also wants to serve the seller’s market in these regions and sell properties on offer. Interested parties will be looked after by Immoleo employees and local partners on site, the company adds. This ranges from initial contact to handing over the keys and can be carried out in German.

    The real estate company is also strengthening its domestic offering. Immoleo has been offering independent buyer support for new construction projects since autumn 2022. The consultation begins at the notary appointment and leads from the adjustment of the floor plan with regard to the room design to the materialisation for the interior fittings with the interior architect to the handing over of the keys.

  • Tilbago offers the cheapest debt collection statement

    Tilbago offers the cheapest debt collection statement

    Tilbago AG is lowering the price for digitally signed debt collection statements to 22.90 Swiss francs. This means that this “fully digital bridge” between private individuals and debt collection offices is the most cost-effective at the Lucerne-based company, according to a media release.

    A digital debt collection statement replaces the previously common paper form for a credit report, as it is required, for example, before concluding rental, credit or leasing contracts. It can be ordered online, is usually delivered by e-mail within a few hours and can be used as often as desired. The digital statement proves ex officio and forgery-proof that a person does not have any outstanding debts that are or have been enforced by means of debt collection.

    The online debt collection solution tilbago is a PostFinance innovation. Tilbago guides companies fully automatically through the debt collection process. This is intended to automate and optimise workflows and make it easier to comply with legal requirements and deadlines. The solution is hosted by PostFinance. According to the company, this means that the data remains in Switzerland and is protected in the PostFinance data centre.

  • Strüby builds new production hall for Trox Hesco

    Strüby builds new production hall for Trox Hesco

    Strüby from Seewen is building a new production hall with offices for Trox Hesco in Rüti. According to a press release, Trox Hesco is aiming to increase efficiency and modernise production and logistics. The new building is also linked to plans to consolidate the previously outsourced powder coating production at a central location. The new hall will offer additional space for offices, a cafeteria and a modern showroom.

    Trox Hesco manufactures and supplies components and systems for ventilation systems from a single source. Its strengths include system solutions adapted to the type of building. Products for ventilation and air-conditioning systems are manufactured in Rüti.

    After extensive preparations, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new production hall took place on 23 March 2023. The timber construction company Strüby Unternehmungen is realising the architecture, project development, engineering, production, realisation, customer service, building maintenance and carpentry work as a total service provider.

    The building stands on a foundation and a base plate made of reinforced concrete, above which a modern building in timber element construction is being built from the ground floor upwards. By using 2500 cubic metres of construction timber and a photovoltaic system with an annual output of 590,000 kilowatts to generate electricity for heating and hot water, Trox Hexo emphasises “the connection to nature and to the renewable raw material” and meets all energy requirements.

  • Arbon gets two b-smart hotels

    Arbon gets two b-smart hotels

    B_smart selection, with locations in Liechtenstein, Austria and Switzerland, will become the new operator of the Müllers self check-in hotel in Arbon and will also open another self check-in hotel. The Müllers brand is to remain, according to Heinrich Toldo, CEO of b_smart selection, who was quoted in an announcement about the change of operator.

    By continuing to operate the Müllers at the same time as the additional new hotel building, the demand for overnight stays in the canton of Thurgau can be served with two different accommodation options in the future.

    Hotel operations at the new b_smart hotel Arbon are scheduled to start in August 2023. The new hotel building was built within walking distance of the Müllers and offers 63 rooms and suites as well as a restaurant and bar. On the top floor, guests can use a fitness and wellness area with a view over Lake Constance.

    The hotel takeover does not involve any changes for guests. For existing and new bookings, coffee to go is included as before, breakfast and other catering must be organised elsewhere. The Schifflände Bar on the ground floor, operated by Schifflände GmbH, will remain open, it says.

    The change of operator of the Hotel Müllers in Arbon has been announced for 1 May. The cooperation between Hotel Müllers and b_smart services AG has already existed since the reopening in autumn 2022, it says. Since then, the service provider for accommodation businesses based in Liechtenstein has been handling the booking management and is responsible for 24-hour availability.

  • Sensors inform about the use of chairs in public places

    Sensors inform about the use of chairs in public places

    As part of the Smart City Zurich pilot project, the Public Works Department and the City of Zurich ‘s electricity company have tested newly developed sensors from the Center for Project-Based Learning(PBL) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich(ETH). The study concludes that the sensors provide “more efficient, reliable, continuous and anonymous” data on the use of chairs in public spaces in the city, according to a media release.

    According to the report, the Civil Engineering Office and the Electricity Works of the City of Zurich(ewz) deployed eight sensors each on Münsterhof and Vulkanplatz in August and September last year. The aim was to find out how passers-by use the chairs on a square at different times of day and in certain weather conditions.

    The sensors collect data on temperature, humidity and noise. The occupancy and location of a chair can also be measured. In the test phase, for example, the sensors showed that the chairs on the unplanted Münsterhof were placed in the shade when the sun was shining. On the Vulkanplatz, which is planted with trees, on the other hand, they remained evenly distributed regardless of the weather conditions. In the mornings and evenings, the seating options on both squares were used to a similar extent. The chairs on Münsterhof were most heavily used in the afternoon, those on Vulkanplatz at midday.

    For the city of Zurich, the sensors can thus contribute to a more demand-oriented planning of public space. This planning is reportedly gaining in importance in view of climate change. The city is now looking into further possible applications.

  • New heating plant in Emmen goes into operation

    New heating plant in Emmen goes into operation

    Energie Wasser Luzern(ewl) opened its new heating centre in Emmen on Tuesday, 4 April. It is located at the site of the RUAG armaments factory. According to a press release, the utility ewl expects to sell about 22 gigawatt hours of heat per year when it is completed. This corresponds to the heating needs of about 2200 four-person households. This will save a total of about 4,600 tonnes of CO2 per year in the region, according to the ewl statement.

    The opening of the Emmen Dorf heating plant was carried out by Fernwärme Luzern AG, a subsidiary of ewl Luzern, together with the building lease provider RUAG Real Estate and representatives of the municipality of Emmen. It is described as an important milestone in the regional district heating expansion. In total, Fernwärme Luzern AG invested around 31 million Swiss francs in the expansion of the district heating network in Emmen Dorf, with around 8 million Swiss francs going into the new control centre, including buildings and facilities.

    “The building lease to Fernwärme Luzern AG and the completion of this heating centre are the prerequisites for RUAG’s big ecological step – namely connection to the district heating network from the 2023/24 heating period. For RUAG, this will result in a reduction of around 2,000 tonnes of CO2 per year,” Matthias Hauswirth, RUAG’s Chief Real Estate Officer, is quoted as saying.

    After the start of construction in February 2022, delivery problems in the wake of the Ukraine war led to delays and uncertainties, according to a statement by Patrik Rust, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ewl. The fact that the project was completed on time is thanks to the great commitment, good cooperation and constructive exchange between the planning team, the construction companies and RUAG Real Estate as the lender of the building rights.

  • 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.