immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: nachhaltige Architektur

  • Timber construction sets new standard for cantonal buildings

    Timber construction sets new standard for cantonal buildings

    Architect Markus Schietsch has received a silver Hase Architecture Prize from “Hochparterre” for his new construction of the cantonal AVS building in Unterentfelden. The prize was awarded on December 2 at the Zurich Museum of Design. It recognizes the architectural quality of the building and the consistent implementation of sustainable construction methods.

    The new building with its laboratory and office workstations for currently 80 employees was officially opened on October 25, 2024 after two and a half years of construction. The construction work was planned and carried out by Immobilien Aargau.

    “The award confirms the path we have taken,” said Cantonal Councillor Dr. Markus Dieth in a press release. “The canton of Aargau invests in sustainable, economical and high-quality buildings that also take cost-efficient construction into account. I would like to congratulate Markus Schietsch and the Aargau Real Estate Department on this success.”

    According to Schietsch, this award shows “that careful planning, a clear architectural approach and the courage to use sustainable materials such as wood are more in demand today than ever before”. Head of office and cantonal chemist Dr. Alda Breitenmoser emphasizes that the new building offers “optimal working conditions” for consumer protection: “The architecture supports our work processes, creates a pleasant indoor climate and shows that modern administration can be ecological and functional at the same time.”

    At the beginning of November 2025, the new AVS headquarters received an award from the Pro Holz Aargau wood network for its timber construction.

  • Award for sustainable new build in Central Switzerland

    Award for sustainable new build in Central Switzerland

    Lignum, the timber industry association, has awarded the Swiss Timber Label to the new Campus Sursee event hall. According to the umbrella organisation of the forestry and timber industry in Central Switzerland, wood is a good choice for the construction of buildings due to its low material weight, high load-bearing capacity and its positive effects on the indoor climate.

    Few educational institutions have opted to build with wood. “It is not often that a leading training centre for construction professionals builds with wood and thus relies on the countless advantages of this renewable raw material,” Melanie Brunner, Managing Director of Lignum Holzwirtschaft Zentralschweiz, is quoted as saying. It is a special honour to be able to award such a prestigious building, she said. The advantages of wood as a building material are synonymous with securing jobs in the region, reducing grey energy and managing forests in an environmentally friendly way. The event hall contains 217 cubic metres of wood. The timber framework and box girder elements consist of 92.3 per cent Swiss wood. This means that 159 tonnes of the greenhouse gas CO2 can be bound in the building.

    Lignum awards the Swiss Wood label to identify wood that has grown in Swiss or Liechtenstein forests and is processed in Switzerland or the Principality. It can be found on the product and on accompanying documents.

  • Historic election at the Swiss Association of Engineers and Architects

    Historic election at the Swiss Association of Engineers and Architects

    Susanne Zenker has been elected as the new President of the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects(SIA) by the Assembly of Delegates. According to a press release, this is the first time in the approximately 190-year history of the professional association that a woman has been elected to the top position. The Swedish-born architect, who trained at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne(EPFL), brings many years of experience in the construction sector and in the design of sustainable living spaces to the post, the press release explains. Susanne Zenker is currently Head of Development and a member of the Executive Board of SBB Real Estate. She is also a trustee of the Swiss Building Culture Foundation.

    “With its members, the SIA brings together an enormous amount of knowledge and commitment under one roof,” Zenker is quoted as saying in her speech in the press release. “The sustainable design of living space is a challenging and diverse task. In the SIA, we therefore need to network our knowledge even more in order to remain effective. This is what I would like to do as President”. Susanne Zenker will take office on 1 July 2024 and will leave SBB Real Estate at the end of June.

    “The election of a woman to head the association is a historic moment. In Susanne Zenker, the SIA is gaining an experienced bridge builder. I am convinced that she will be able to align the diverse interests in the association towards common goals,” explains Alain Ouveley, one of the interim Co-Presidents.

    The delegates also elected Sarah Kristin Schalles to the Board.