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Tag: News

  • Swiss Central City Real Estate Fund approved by the Swiss Exchange Commission

    Swiss Central City Real Estate Fund approved by the Swiss Exchange Commission

    The SIX Exchange Regulation has approved the Swiss Central City Real Estate fund for listing on the SIX Swiss Exchange . This means that the Zurich-based Nova Property Fund Management AG will be able to trade the real estate fund on the stock exchange from December 13th, according to a media release .

    The fund is currently traded over the counter through Bank J. Safra Sarasin AG . In addition, the investment should also be included in the SXI Real Estate Broad and SXI Real Estate Funds Broad indices.

    The real estate portfolio currently has a market value of CHF 400 million. The fund management company wants to expand this further by investing the fund’s assets in real estate in central locations across Switzerland.

    For this year she is planning a distribution of CHF 2.50 per fund unit. In the coming years it should be increased further through the constant expansion of the property portfolio and the completion of further projects.

  • Winterthur wants to become climate neutral by 2040

    Winterthur wants to become climate neutral by 2040

    The voters in Winterthur are in favor of a climate-neutral city by 2040. On November 28, two variants of a net zero for CO2 emissions were up for voting. One envisaged achieving climate neutrality by 2050, the second by 2040. In the key question, the variant prevailed by 2040, explains the city administration of Winterthur in a message .

    Net zero emissions mean that no more greenhouse gases are emitted than can be absorbed by natural and technical reservoirs at the same time. With climate neutrality by 2040, the city of Winterthur has set itself a more ambitious goal than the canton of Zurich and the federal government. Both aim to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

    In the referendum in Winterthur, 61.31 percent approved the option by 2040. The climate target of a net zero by 2050 was approved by 63.59 percent of the voters. In the key question, the goal of climate neutrality by 2040 prevailed with 60.41 percent of the votes.

  • The groundbreaking ceremony for the Rietbach Center has taken place

    The groundbreaking ceremony for the Rietbach Center has taken place

    The starting shot for the Rietbach Center has been given. Representatives of the municipality of Bachenbülach, tenants and other guests attended the groundbreaking ceremony, according to a message from P&F Immobilien . Burger King, the hotel chain Schatz AG and Bodypalace Gym, which will also offer physiotherapy, have been won as anchor tenants.

    The new health, commercial and service center in the Zürcher Unterland is only about three minutes from the Bülach-Süd / Bachenbülach motorway exit. It will have freely expandable areas that are just as suitable for medical practices and other providers in the health sector as for specialized shops. The health services offered are intended on the one hand to ensure basic care, while on the other hand medical specialists are also to be settled there. The future tenants should also benefit from synergy effects from the surrounding centers.

    On the ground floor of the Rietbach Center, an area of 3000 square meters is available for trade and services. This is supplemented by 1,600 square meters of rental space on the upper floor.

  • CondenZero wins Swiss Innovation Challenge

    CondenZero wins Swiss Innovation Challenge

    The Swiss Innovation Challenge has been decided, the three winners come from Zurich: on Thursday the main prize of CHF 20,000 was awarded to condenZero . The spin-off of the University of Zurich ( UZH ) received this award virtually when the award ceremony was broadcast from the Haus der Wirtschaft in Pratteln. According to a press release , a message from Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin was leaked.

    The physicists at condenZero develop and produce scientific sample holders that work at low temperatures of around minus 270 degrees. The innovative cooling principle was originally developed at the Swiss free-electron laser at the Paul Scherrer Institute . In the start-up phase, the team will concentrate on introducing the new technology to the cryo-electron microscopy market. The condenZero technology can hold cryogenic temperatures for up to 24 hours. With the current cryo-microscopy solutions, this is only possible for 15 minutes. CondenZero is also in the final round of the start-up CERN BIC incubator .

    Second place and the special life sciences prize of CHF 5,000 went to MyLeg . This is a “unique” device that recovers sensory information about the touch and movement of a prosthetic leg. It does this through non-invasive electrical stimulation. The device does not have to be used surgically and can be added to any existing prosthesis.

    Third place and the special construction prize were awarded to Oxara . The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich converts construction waste into sustainable and affordable building materials with self-developed and patented mineral additives, thus promoting the circular economy. The company’s goal is to significantly reduce “the immense footprint” of conventional building materials.

  • Holcim launches concrete innovation

    Holcim launches concrete innovation

    Holcim has developed a new high-performance concrete called DYNAMax. According to a media release from the Zug-based building materials group, it can be used to build thinner and longer structures than with conventional concrete. On the one hand, this enables larger usable rooms. On the other hand, material is saved in building.

    Holcim also paid attention to the overall ecological footprint of DYNAMax. In addition to the reduced use of materials, the product is characterized by local production, “short transport routes” and a recyclable and completely reusable profile.

    DYNAMax will initially be launched in Europe, North and South America and the Asia-Pacific region in 2022.

    “Given today’s population and urbanization trends, DYNAMax is an ideal material for building smart cities. It offers high performance so that you can build more with less, without compromising aesthetics and functionality, ”says Jan Jenisch, CEO of Holcim.

  • Steiner sells Immo-Projekt to Fortimo

    Steiner sells Immo-Projekt to Fortimo

    Steiner AG has decided to “adjust the portfolio”. As a result, it sells the entire Widacher project in Fischbach-Göslikon to Fortimo Invest AG . According to a press release , Fortimo will begin with the implementation of the first construction phase in the coming year. There is already a building permit for this.

    Initially, 16 terraced houses are to be built on an abandoned industrial site. This first stage also includes a further 42 apartments in three apartment buildings and two listed buildings. A total of 165 residential units in ten multi-family houses and 46 row single-family houses are planned on this site. They are to be built in three sections.

    “With Fortimo we can hand over this great project to a long-standing partner company, which ensures the successful implementation and further development of this attractive residential complex,” Steiner CEO Michael Schiltknecht is quoted as saying.

  • Implenia is building five buildings for SBB

    Implenia is building five buildings for SBB

    As a general contractor, Implenia is building five buildings on the former Malley industrial site west of Lausanne, one of which has 19 floors and a second one with 24 floors. As the company reports , the order volume is CHF 200 million. It includes the construction of residential and commercial buildings for the first phase of construction called Central Malley . An area of 42,200 square meters is to be developed. 23,700 square meters are planned as office space, 3800 square meters for commercial units and 14,700 square meters for around 200 apartments.

    The Central Malley construction project is the first step in the revitalization of the Malley industrial area. According to the information, the area is to be converted into a sustainable urban quarter with apartments, offices and commercial units. The concept for the development is based on ecological building, future ways of life and the Minergie P-Eco standard. The development of the new district fits into the spatial development plan for the Lausanne metropolitan area, which envisages several “ambitious architectural designs”. In this way, Implenia is making a contribution to the design of “promising future living and working environments,” says Jens Vollmar, Head of the Buildings Division, quoted in the press release.

    The project was preceded by two architecture competitions. The designs are implemented by the offices of Aeby Perneger & Associés SA and Pont 12 Architectes SA .

  • ETH robots build hanging gardens for Zug

    ETH robots build hanging gardens for Zug

    The Tech Cluster Zug will have hanging gardens based on ancient models. The planted architectural sculpture intended for this purpose bears the name Semiramis. It is 22.5 meters high and consists of five differently sized and geometrically complex wooden bowls that are placed one on top of the other. A video presented in a media release from ETH shows how these are supported by eight slender steel supports.

    Researchers from the group of ETH architecture professors Fabio Gramazio and Matthias Kohler design and create Semiramis together with Müller Illien landscape architects , the timber construction engineers from Timbatec and other partners from industry and research. The design options come from a machine learning algorithm that was developed in collaboration with the Swiss Data Science Center .

    “The computer model enables us to reverse the conventional design process and to explore the entire scope for designing a project,” Matthias Kohler, Professor of Architecture and Fabrication at ETH Zurich, is quoted as saying. In the Immersive Design Lab , an ETH laboratory for augmented reality, the researchers were able to explore the designs in three dimensions. A software developed jointly with the Computational Robotics Lab at ETH allowed the designs to be modified. According to Kohler, this lighthouse project in architectural research is driving “key research topics such as interactive architectural design and digital fabrication”.

    The Semiramis sculpture is currently being built by four cooperating robotic arms in the robotic production laboratory at ETH Zurich. An algorithm prevents collisions if you each lift one of the wooden panels and place them in the room at the same time. The robots relieve humans of the heavy lifting and precise positioning. They also make complex scaffolding unnecessary.

    The individual shell segments each consist of 51 to 88 wooden panels. When one of them is ready, it is transported to Zug by truck. Semiramis is to be erected and planted in spring 2022.

  • French-speaking Swiss live louder

    French-speaking Swiss live louder

    At every third residential address in Geneva, people have to endure a noise level of more than 60 decibels. It is as loud as a lawnmower ten meters away, according to a press release . This noise can still be heard even with the windows closed.

    On the other hand, people in German-speaking Switzerland live the most quietly, namely in the cities of Bern, Winterthur and Aarau, as the real estate research of Zürcher Kantonalbank lists. For its analysis, the financial institute examined every residential building in Switzerland for its exposure to road noise.

    It also came out that the street noise leads to rent discounts of 320 million francs annually. Geneva has the highest rent reduction with CHF 40 million, Zurich follows in second place with a financial loss of CHF 28 million.

    Because even if Zurich is in the middle in terms of noise pollution, thousands of apartments along the main traffic arteries are still affected by a high noise level, according to the press release. “So street noise will remain a burning issue in housing policy in the canton of Zurich.”

    According to real estate research by Zürcher Kantonalbank, prices for private homes will also rise this year. Prospective buyers can expect 6 percent more, and in the canton of Zurich even an increase of 7.5 percent. The demand for one’s own four walls in the corona pandemic is driving.

    Searchers find fewer and fewer advertisements in the relevant property search portals on the Internet. According to a press release, the number of sales advertisements in the canton of Zurich on the Homegate brokerage platform has fallen by more than 30 percent since 2019. Reason: Brokers can find buyers with less effort through their own channels.

    The demand for property is currently so high that “some of the apartments have already been sold before construction begins”. Often all it takes is just setting up a construction board. Prospective buyers should therefore be put on the lists of broker companies, advises Ursina Kubli, Head of Real Estate Research at Zürcher Kantonalbank, according to a media release.

  • Holcim realizes a new concrete structure

    Holcim realizes a new concrete structure

    Holcim built the cantilever bridge called Bridge to the Future at its Hüntwangen plant. The company describes the filigree concrete platform for the acceptance of excavated material in a press release as “one of the most climate-friendly structures in the world”. This bridge was created in close cooperation with CPC AG from Andelfingen and the fiber composite materials ( FRP ) specialist group at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ( ZHAW ).

    For this bridge, the concrete slab technology from CPC was used and further optimized. The company, founded in 2013, produces particularly filigree, stable and durable concrete slabs and components that are reinforced with pre-stressed carbon fibers (carbon prestressed concrete, CPC) instead of corrosive steel. This can save up to 75 percent of material and thus also CO2. This technology was developed and patented in a research collaboration between the ZHAW and the Silidur company from 2010. As stated in the press release, Holcim has since acquired a stake in CPC AG “as proof of its trust in CPC technology”.

    According to the information, Holcim used its clinker-free cement Locarbo for the Bridge to the Future. Compared to conventional cement, this has 63 percent fewer CO2 emissions. From this, Holcim has developed a high-strength recycled concrete. Its carbon footprint has been reduced from 210 to 138 kilograms of CO2 per cubic meter.

    FVK supported Holcim with feasibility and load-bearing tests as well as statics calculations. “This project is a highlight for us,” says FVK manager Josef Kurath. The individual material properties are “reflected in a unique way and optimally used”.

  • The Metropolitans: Over 180 parking spaces, electric car ready

    The Metropolitans: Over 180 parking spaces, electric car ready

    The two towers rise around 60 meters into the sky and thus shape the character of the Leutschenbach district in the north of the city of Zurich. However, “The Metropolitans” is not only visually impressive, it is also a showcase project when it comes to electromobility. The underground car park was equipped in such a way that a sustainable infrastructure for e-vehicles is available for the residents of the 212 apartments.

    Clear decision
    When the residential towers were completed in 2015/16, there was only one charging station in the underground car park. Little by little, other residents had their parking lot equipped. “There was a certain amount of wild growth,” explains Christian Steiger, who, as the delegate of the condominium owners, accompanied the expansion from the start. “When other owners expressed their interest in a charging station, we set up a project team to find a uniform solution”. The team obtained offers and recommended the charging solution from ewz after a thorough examination. “Working with ewz in the evaluation phase was very pleasant and productive,” explains Steiger. “We were also impressed by the price-performance ratio, the know-how and the complete solution.” The joint owners’ meeting followed the recommendation and decided, by far more, in favor of the ewz solution.

    Novel ceiling pillars
     After the award, ewz submitted a funding application to the City of Zurich, which covered up to 60 percent of the costs for the charging infrastructure as part of the 2000 watt contribution. The application was approved – implementation could begin in spring 2021. In a first phase, all 187 parking spaces in the underground car park were connected with a ribbon cable. This means that when you register, you only need to install and connect the charging station. Several dozen residents did this directly: in the summer of 2021, over 80 parking spaces were already equipped with a “easee” charging station.

    Depending on the location of a parking lot, the charging station is either mounted on the wall (wallbox) or suspended from the ceiling. Such ceiling pillars, each with up to four charging stations, are ideal for parking spaces in the middle of underground garages and impress with their high-quality design. According to Christian Steiger, the feedback on the new charging infrastructure is very positive. “The charging stations look good and work perfectly,” he sums up.

    Load management saves costs
     The charging infrastructure of “The Metropolitans” includes dynamic load management. It ensures that all connected e-cars receive sufficient electricity and are charged the next morning. At the same time, the system ensures that the need for charging is coordinated with the needs of the households. This automatic load balancing of the “easee” charging stations has the advantage that up to three times as many electric vehicles can be charged at the same time – 24 hours a day and thanks to a standard tariff at no additional cost. This prevents overloads or even power failures and ensures a reliable, stable power supply. In addition, thanks to the load management, an expensive expansion of the connected load of the two residential towers could be avoided.

    Simple billing
     While the basic expansion of the charging infrastructure was paid for jointly by all floor owners using a distribution key, the individual owner pays for the charging station himself. After that, only low costs are incurred in operation. The users receive a chip card (RFID card) so that they can identify themselves at their charging station and enable charging. The ewz package also includes an app that shows the electricity used and the costs at all times. You will be billed monthly via a credit card that is stored in the app. Users only pay ewz CHF 9.90 per month for these services.

    Advantages of the ewz charging solution
     Through the partnership, the residents benefit from a future-proof complete solution. The project team and the administration really appreciate having a single point of contact with ewz as the general contractor for the planning, implementation and operation of the charging infrastructure. This guarantees an efficient, practice-oriented solution with simple scalability. Ewz’s 24-7 customer service and its reputation as a city partner strengthen the customer’s feeling of security. You can also rest assured that your electric vehicles will only be charged with green electricity.

    Flexible, simple and sustainable: this is how the charging solution from ewz works. And you can find out more about Switzerland-wide energy solutions from ewz here.

  • Learn faster than change

    Learn faster than change

    In contrast to earlier, more linear revolutions, digital change is advancing exponentially. That means, you don’t notice anything for a long time, and suddenly the change is there. In contrast to the film, music or car industries, which were surprised by Netflix, Spotify or Tesla, this development should not be overslept. “And that is exactly why it is particularly worthwhile to invest in innovations and stay on the ball,” said Mario Facchinetti in his presentation at this year’s Swiss ImmoTable in the building arena in Volketswil, Switzerland. The name of his company PropTechMarket stands for technology-driven, new innovations (property technology), which are becoming increasingly important for the real estate industry.

    Technologies should be used where they are superior to humans. Often enough, the change is creeping: “Ten years ago no taxi driver would have expected that a tech company from San Francisco called Uber could ever compete with him. Or to put it quite simply: Nothing remarkable happens for a long time, with many new companies putting themselves in a starting position, collecting data and experience, ”says Facchinetti. So far, no company has succeeded in turning the real estate industry upside down. However, many companies were working on this vision. Now it’s about building experiences faster than digital change advances.

    New technologies are revolutionizing the market: “One can imagine that we will need different skills in the future than we do today,” says Facchinetti. “Many courses are hopelessly out of date. And soon the question arises as to whether it would be better to hire a graduate with a master’s degree or a lateral thinker with a lot of practical know-how. ” Investing in innovation gives you the time to react to new market conditions. There are currently around 7,000 new companies at work around the world who want to win part of the real estate pie. And in contrast to five years ago, these young savages are increasingly receiving risk capital from investors in order to gain a foothold in the industry with competitive prices.

  • The city of Schlieren is adopting an economic strategy for the first time and, more recently, a new real estate strategy

    The city of Schlieren is adopting an economic strategy for the first time and, more recently, a new real estate strategy

    Albert Schweizer has been in the service of the City of Schlieren as Head of Real Estate and Head of Location Promotion since 1998. He has 40 years of construction and real estate experience and a master’s degree in real estate management from the St. Gallen University of Applied Sciences in 2004. His successful dual role is reflected in his 23 years of activity, sometimes with the settlement and establishment of the clusters Bio-Technopark Schlieren , the support association for startups: Start-Smart-Schlieren , the establishment of the Institute for Young Enterprises , the national headquarters of Mercedes-Benz Switzerland AG , Porsche Center , Strabag Switzerland , Sika Bau AG , Sony Switzerland and around 200 other small and medium-sized SMEs whose founding and relocation he personally managed.

    Probably the biggest milestone for Albert Schweizer is the new Schlierem economic strategy 2025 with comprehensive documentation (city council resolution of June 2, 2021) and the new real estate strategy 2035 published by the city council on November 17, 2021.

  • Allreal creates value through long-term business activities geared towards sustainability

    Allreal creates value through long-term business activities geared towards sustainability

    Allreal has developed a sustainability strategy (ESG) that sets ambitious and specific goals and can be measured against these annually in the future. Allreal creates value through full CO2 neutrality (Environment) By 2050 at the latest, Allreal aims to achieve full CO2 neutrality for its investment property portfolio. By the end of 2022, the company will therefore ensure full consumption recording of the investment properties and develop individual property strategies. In addition, the company will start a broad-based expansion of photovoltaic systems and building management systems. In order to achieve the reduction path, partial compensation of the CO2 emissions will be made from 2022. The active control of user behavior should make a further contribution to lowering emissions. In addition to “green lease” contracts, there is also the promotion of electromobility and the creation of financial incentives to encourage sustainable user behavior among tenants. By the first half of 2024, at least 20% of the garage parking spaces will be equipped with an electric charging station (800 charging stations).


    With a view to the activities of general contracting, Allreal relies on the consistent use of reusable materials. In the case of in-house projects, the entire life cycle of a material is taken into account as quickly as possible. Allreal creates values by assuming responsibility (social) In the area of society, Allreal advocates comprehensive occupational health and safety as well as real equal opportunities. The company already offers an attractive working environment which, thanks to the flexibilisation of working hours (part-time work / partial retirement), enables work and family to be reconciled. Further related measures are being expanded on an ongoing basis.

  • Laying of the foundation stone for the Osiris eco-quarter in Echallens

    Laying of the foundation stone for the Osiris eco-quarter in Echallens

    The eco quarter was developed as a joint project by Realtim, Equitim and ODS Investhome. The aim is to achieve Minergie-P-Eco certification, which includes the integration of environmental aspects in the construction process. That is why Steiner is using more than 50 percent recycled concrete in this project. In addition, strict criteria for reducing gray energy and labeling materials such as wood must be adhered to. The Steiner teams also pay close attention to effective waste and wastewater treatment on site.
    The general contractor is aware of the importance of short transport routes and works with local subcontractors as far as possible on all projects. Currently, 75% of those involved in the project come from a radius of less than 50 kilometers around the Osiris construction site.

    At the same time close to nature and in the city center
     The planned eco-quarter comprises 15 buildings with a total of 410 apartments. It offers a natural, spacious outdoor area and foot and bike paths. Both the heating (heat pumps with geothermal probes) and the electricity (photovoltaic modules) rely on renewable energies. Another ecological advantage: the reversible heating system is used for surface cooling in summer (free cooling). Located not far from the center of Echallens, the eco-district has the ideal conditions for non-motorized traffic; the site will be equipped with paths and bicycle garages accessible for bicycles.

    After the client had completed the earthworks, Steiner began building the shell in the summer of 2021. As the project was divided into several areas, the different areas are in different construction phases. The buildings in the first area are at an advanced stage, while the basement and first above-ground floors of the other two areas are currently only being built. The building handover of the Osiris project will take place in spring 2023.

  • The Livit laundry room is going digital

    The Livit laundry room is going digital

    Tenants and landlords have personal access to an online portal. After logging in, the tenants can see whether the washing machine and / or dryer are free, select the devices and book them. Offsetting is also carried out via the system, in which the tenant purchases a credit (online or via a payment slip). There is no longer any need to collect coins or manage washing cards by the caretaker. And when the laundry or the dryer is ready, the tenant receives a message on the cell phone – a great advantage especially when he or she has to climb several floors.

    Tenants, administration and owners benefit equally
    The advantage for tenants is obvious – they benefit from the convenience that the new system offers them. Livit and the owners benefit by being able to preset washing times or block the devices for repairs and maintenance. The administrative effort is reduced and a dashboard provides an overview of usage at a glance. Livit is one of the first companies in Switzerland to completely digitalize billing in communal laundry rooms. For the implementation, Livit has chosen the company ELEKTRON AG as its partner, which has decades of experience in simple and cashless billing in communal laundry rooms. The fully automated, manufacturer-independent billing solutions offer tenants maximum flexibility and minimum administration effort. “On the one hand, it was crucial that the solution was independent of the manufacturers of the devices. On the other hand, there is also the flexibility and real Swissness that ELEKTRON embodies, ”says Adrian von Burg, Head of Business Solutions at Livit.

  • Supporting the science-based 1.5-degree goal

    Supporting the science-based 1.5-degree goal

    In 2021, Pictet’s investment experts developed the Group’s own “Climate Investment Beliefs” as part of a comprehensive process. This initiative is based on two beliefs: Climate change has a significant impact on asset prices. Given its leadership position in the investment industry, it is important for the bank to understand these implications to support performance. As a manager and owner of assets with your investment activities influence on the consequences of climate change. It is therefore the responsibility of the company to find out how it can promote positive effects and mitigate negative ones.

    Dealing with the great ecological and social challenges of our time will require more cooperation and transparency. Joining the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative and the SBTi’s commitment to the “Business Ambition for 1.5 ° C” reflect these convictions.

    The company is aware that achieving these goals is tantamount to a Herculean task and that efforts can only be successful if all financial actors pull along. It requires fundamental change, as well as long-term commitment and persistence and the contribution of all economic actors. Pictet wants to publish a climate action plan with concrete targets for 2030 in 2022.

    The group looks back on over two hundred years of history, based on a long-term and responsible approach to its own business and the management of its clients’ assets. In doing so, the company not only takes into account the interests of today’s, but also those of future generations. This is the core of responsible thinking and the most effective contribution we can make to a sustainable future on our planet.

  • Swiss Casinos is building in Pfäffikon

    Swiss Casinos is building in Pfäffikon

    Swiss Casinos Pfäffikon is moving. However, the company will continue to “rely on the community on upper Lake Zurich”, writes the Zurich-based Swiss Casinos Group in a press release . Specifically, Swiss Casinos is planning a building with a casino next to the business center on Schindellegistrasse in Pfäffikon.

    “The new location offers everything a modern casino needs,” Thomas Cavelti, director of the Pfäffikon casino, is quoted in the message. “With the new location we will be able to meet all demands in the next 20 years.”

    Sager und Partner Architektur und Immobilien GmbH from Freienbach was commissioned with the construction of the casino building. The opening of the new location is planned for the beginning of 2023 at the latest. Until then, the existing casino in Seedamm Plaza will remain open.

    “We have always been very satisfied with the previous location and the cooperation with the Seedamm Plaza,” explains Marc Baumann, CEO of Swiss Casinos, in the press release. “We still had to take the chance of our own casino building.”

  • Walo Bertschinger renovates the Bad Ragaz thermal baths

    Walo Bertschinger renovates the Bad Ragaz thermal baths

    As part of a renovation work in the Bad Ragaz SG thermal baths, the Dietiker construction company Walo Bertschinger renewed the floor coverings. According to a message from Walo on Facebook, the Walo bedding Haypanol D was laid with a special system constellation.

    According to the company announcement, high demands were placed on slip resistance, UV resistance and optics in the thermal baths. In the system constellation used by Walo, these conditions of the client Grand Resort Bad Ragaz were met. The multi-layer structure of the covering and its technical properties also showed high chemical resistance, so that various cleaning agents, greases, other deposits and chemical solutions cannot harm the covering.

    According to Walo, the architecture of the famous thermal baths with its special appearance corresponds to the snow-white surface.

  • Baloise presents its ecosystem for innovations

    Baloise presents its ecosystem for innovations

    The Baloise Group has been modernizing and expanding its core business as part of its Simply Safe strategy since 2017. According to a statement from the insurer, working methods have been modernized internally, scope for design expanded and hierarchies dismantled, thereby increasing employee satisfaction overall.

    At the same time, an ecosystem of innovations was built up. To this end, 7,500 ideas and start-ups were tested in the Baloise Open Innovation Funnel. The Basler Insurance Group has invested a total of 50 million francs annually in the most promising initiatives. Around 30 investments are in the scaling phase. As the largest investment, FRIDAY is already one of the most popular digital insurers in Germany and was able to expand to France in 2021. FRIDAY sales are likely to rise to over 50 million francs this year, with a target of 150 million francs in 2025.

    In the home sector, Baloise has invested in eight initiatives, five in Switzerland and three in Belgium. The total turnover is over 10 million francs, the aim for 2025 is 100 million francs. In the area of mobility, the nine initiatives should generate a total of up to CHF 10 million in sales in 2021. In 2025, sales are also expected to rise to 100 million.

    Gert De Winter is now initiating the second phase of Simply Safe. “Our ambition is to have our investment measures valued at CHF 1 billion by 2025 and to secure a business volume contribution of CHF 350 million through the new initiatives,” the CEO of Baloise is quoted as saying in the press release.

    At the same time, progress in the area of innovation should be made more visible. The innovations are presented narrative on the newly launched “ Baloise Innovation – Connecting the Dots ” website.

  • Schwarm finances IWB's second solar system

    Schwarm finances IWB's second solar system

    Tenants without their own roof helped finance IWB ‘s second solar system. You have acquired an individual share in the planned solar system on the Spittelmatthof near Riehen BS through the participation model Sonnenbox Crowd. In return, they will receive an electricity credit of 100 kilowatt hours per invested square meter over a period of 20 years.

    This second system is 350 square meters and will have an output of 72 kilowatts. That corresponds roughly to the electricity needs of 25 to 30 households. As stated in a press release , it only took a few weeks to fully finance them.

    The preparations for its construction were already under way. It should be completed by the middle of next year. The installation of the first swarm-financed system is also imminent. It is being erected on a roof by IWB in Basel’s Gundeli district. “The great demand spurs us on to offer the people of Basel more solar systems soon,” Martin Albrecht, product manager of the Sonnenbox Crowd, is quoted as saying. “We are looking for other suitable roofs for this.”

  • Schlieren relies on a sustainable real estate strategy

    Schlieren relies on a sustainable real estate strategy

    The city council of Schlieren has adopted a new real estate strategy for 2035 . According to a press release , it serves as a binding basic document for the management of urban properties. The focus is on efficiency and sustainability.

    With the real estate strategy 2035, a modern real estate management should be introduced, which puts the active space management in the foreground, it says in the announcement of the city. The revision is necessary due to the strong population growth in recent years. As a result, the space requirements of the city of Schlieren, in particular for schools and childcare as well as administration, are constantly increasing. The focus was therefore more on the development of construction projects than on inventory management.

    The real estate master plan will be introduced as part of the real estate strategy 2035. It is intended to enable long-term investment planning for the real estate portfolio. In the master plan, renovation, expansion and demolition measures are to be planned, property acquisitions and disposals are to be coordinated and the investment needs to be assessed. The city is relying on the simplification of processes and increased efficiency through digitization.

    In order to maintain the real estate portfolio, it means that buildings owned by the city should be maintained according to the principles of future viability, energy efficiency, functionality and sustainability.

    As an energy city with the European Energy Award Gold, Schlieren is committed to sustainable development and the reduction of CO2 emissions. The city council included this in its real estate strategy. This also includes building with wood. The city pledges itself as a role model to promote the use of sustainably produced wood in its own buildings and facilities.

    A flyer from the city explains the sustainable real estate strategy concisely and clearly.

  • Property owners expect stable prices

    Property owners expect stable prices

    Private sole and co-owners of investment properties in Switzerland expect stable price development in the next year, writes Crowdhouse in a communication on its new real estate barometer. According to the Zurich fintech, this is “the only data collection in Switzerland that focuses on the expectations of private owners of Swiss investment properties”. For the current edition of the barometer, Crowdhouse interviewed around 180 people.

    Only a minority of 6 percent expect real estate prices to fall in the next year, the press release explains. Most of those surveyed consider the market for investment property to be safe and not very risky. However, it is also considered overrated, explains Crowdhouse. An excessively high rating and vacancies were named by those surveyed as the two greatest current risks.

    In addition, the respondents have spoken out in favor of greater digitization of the market, writes the fintech company. Crowdhouse provides detailed information on the property barometer on the Internet .

  • Milestone for sustainable building is being created in Zug

    Milestone for sustainable building is being created in Zug

    The construction project for V-ZUG ‘s new production and assembly building called Zephyr Ost in the Zug Tech Cluster is the largest to date in which CO2-enriched concrete has been used. It is made from recycled concrete from the building materials group Holcim , which is enriched with CO2 using a neustark process. According to a press release , the construction work started on Wednesday. The building is scheduled to go into service in 2023.

    For this climate-friendly concrete, CO2 from Switzerland is being used for the first time. The start-up based in Bern and spun off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH ) in 2019, neustark extracts the CO2 from the wastewater treatment plant of the ara region Bern AG .

    The recycled granulate for concrete production is processed by the recycling processing plant Arge EvoREC in Oberdorf NW. This is a joint venture between Holcim Kies und Beton AG and Zimmermann Umweltlogistik AG . The granulate is then carbonated by neustark using the dry process. The technology has been tested in the past few months and is now being used commercially.

    With the use of 4,200 cubic meters of recycled concrete and the binding of CO2, a total saving of 71 tons of CO2 is achieved compared to conventional construction. That corresponds roughly to the annual CO2 uptake of 3500 Swiss firs.

    “We are pleased to be able to come one step closer to our vision of climate-neutral and circular concrete production with the help of the innovative neustark process,” said Giovanni Barbarani, Head of Concrete Performance at Holcim Switzerland. “This project is a milestone on the way to sustainable building in Switzerland, also thanks to its regionality and short transport routes.”

    The Metall Zug Group wants to create “a new piece of the city for an industrial ecosystem” in the Zug Tech Cluster. Other industrial companies, start-ups, technology-related service providers, training institutions and apartments are also to be located there.

  • Implenia receives another order for the Brenner tunnel

    Implenia receives another order for the Brenner tunnel

    The construction consortium of Implenia and Webuild Group has been awarded the contract for lot H41 for the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel, the construction and real estate company from Opfikon informs in a message . The two partner companies each hold 50 percent of the joint venture. The value of the contract on the Austrian side of the Brennero tunnel is put at 690 million francs. Implenia Austria will take over the technical management of the project.

    When awarding the contract, particular attention was paid to environmental aspects and sustainability, the communication further explains. Here, “the high environmental standards” of the two partner companies contributed to the good rating. Specifically, the call for tenders required measures to reduce environmental pollution and the use of green electricity.

    The contract to build the main tunnel from the Ahrental access tunnel north to Innsbruck and south to Pfons is already the second order that Implenia has won for the construction of the base tunnel. Together with the Webuild Group, Implenia is also working on the construction of the high-performance Franzenfeste-Waidbruck line at the southern connection of the tunnel.

    “The Brenner Base Tunnel is an important part of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor of the Trans-European Network (TEN-T), which improves rail connections across the continent,” Erwin Scherer, Global Head of Tunneling at Implenia, is quoted as saying in the press release. “We are pleased that we can bring our many years of experience and our proven expertise in tunneling to this large and complex tunneling project.”

  • Andermatt Swiss Alps AG sells a third more apartments

    Andermatt Swiss Alps AG sells a third more apartments

    Andermatt Swiss Alps AG continues to see high demand for holiday apartments in the new Andermatt Reuss part of the village. The Andermatt-based company has completed a total of 420 units since construction began in 2007. 408 of them have been sold, 100 of them in the current year alone, according to a press release . That is another increase in sales of more than a third compared to 2020.

    In the coming months, the company will hand over 130 new apartments around Piazza Gottardo to the owners. The place is on an infrastructure base called a podium. This is to be expanded to 20,000 square meters in order to be able to build more houses.

    “This is one of the largest construction projects in the Alps and enables us to expand the Andermatt Reuss part of the village by a further 16 apartment buildings and two shopping streets with retail and gastronomy offers,” CEO Raphael Krucker is quoted as saying in the media release.

    Two houses will go on sale this winter. Haus Elva will accommodate eleven apartments, each with up to four bedrooms. 18 apartments with one and two bedrooms are being built in Haus Mira.

    Andermatt Swiss Alps AG plans, builds and develops the year-round destination Andermatt in the Alps. At the end of the day, the project should encompass a total of 2000 residential units with up to 10,000 beds in apartment buildings, hotels and chalets.

  • Steiner AG is redeveloping the industrial area in Breitenbach

    Steiner AG is redeveloping the industrial area in Breitenbach

    The Steiner Investment Foundation wants to convert the Isola area not far from the center of Breitenbach into a residential and commercial area. The owner of the eleven hectare site has commissioned the construction service provider Steiner AG with this, according to a media release . The residents of Breitenbach are to be included in the development process from next year.

    The project developer also wants to open up the Isola area, which is located directly on the Lüssel, to the public. “This can look forward to new, attractive meeting and green areas, which will be created in place of the existing company roads and storage areas”, Stefan Gabriel, team leader for real estate development at Steiner AG, is quoted in the media release.

    The new quarter is not intended to compete with the village center, but rather to complement it. An intensive exchange is currently taking place with the Breitenbach municipal administration about the respective ideas and expectations. As a basis for a common understanding of the spatial development of the area, an urban development and open space planning test planning process will also be carried out, according to the media release. Renowned architectural offices and landscape architects would be invited to come up with suggestions.

    Construction on the first stage is expected to start in 2029. During the planning phase, however, the company wants to enable interim uses and, if necessary, bring forward individual conversion projects in existing buildings.

    The Steiner Invest Foundation, a Zurich-based asset management company for Swiss pension funds and an investment foundation of Steiner AG, acquired the 114,280 square meter area with its largely empty industrial and warehouse buildings in spring 2021.

  • Prices on the Aargau property market are soaring

    Prices on the Aargau property market are soaring

    The Aargau Real Estate Barometer published by the Aargauische Kantonalbank (AKB) shows a sustained strong increase in cantonal real estate prices. The report on developments over the past twelve months names low interest rates and scarce building land reserves as the main drivers behind this development. Together with the robust economic development in the aftermath of the Corona crisis, this led to the “boom” in prices.

    The AKB real estate barometer shows the development of the residential property market and also provides information on rents, vacancies and yields. The entire document can be downloaded from the AKB website.

    Regarding regional development, the barometer says that price growth on the Aargau property market cannot be “slowed down”. In the past few months, the development has even picked up speed significantly. Single-family houses would be selling 5.4 percent higher than a year ago. The increase in condominiums is also 4.7 percent within a year.

    Considering all 243 communities in the market area, according to the barometer, the purchase of a typical property with 140 square meters of living space, 450 square meters of land and garage space can be expected to cost between CHF 800,000 and CHF 900,000. However, the range of prices is considerable. In coveted locations such as Baden, Rheinfelden and Aarau, the same property is sometimes traded for well over a million francs.

    Apartment rents throughout Switzerland remained unchanged within a year, as the evaluation of the published advertisements showed. In the same period, landlords in the Northwestern Switzerland region increased their asking prices slightly by 1.4 percent.

  • Subsidies result in record expansion at solar

    Subsidies result in record expansion at solar

    According to a media release by the Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), the federal funds for photovoltaic systems are having an effect: The record construction of photovoltaic systems from 2020 will probably be exceeded this year.

    According to the information, more than 18,000 photovoltaic systems with a total output of 360 megawatts were registered for one-off remuneration from January to the end of October 2021. That is around 25 percent more than in the same period last year. In the third quarter, their number even increased by 40 percent.

    All system operators who have submitted their complete application to Pronovo AG on time could expect a payment. A total of CHF 150 million would be paid out as a one-off payment for 26,000 small photovoltaic systems. 500 applications have been received for large photovoltaic systems. As confirmed by the SFOE, the planned funding amounts could be paid out to all applicants who correctly submit their application by the respective deadline in the coming year.

    No further systems were added to the feed-in tariff system in 2021. After completion, 19 photovoltaic, 79 hydropower, 422 wind energy and 42 biomass projects would have received funding approval.

    The investment contributions made available for small and large hydropower plants were only partially called up in 2021. New requests could be processed immediately without a waiting list.

    No applications have been received for an investment contribution in favor of electricity-producing sewage gas and waste incineration plants, wood power plants or geothermal projects. New ones could be processed immediately.

  • Optisol inaugurates new company headquarters

    Optisol inaugurates new company headquarters

    Optisol has created the largest wooden structure in Valais and recently inaugurated it. The new building of the company headquarters for the company of the Migros subsidiary Micarna had become necessary because the manufacturer of high-quality organic and organic-mineral fertilizers had to relocate from the floodplain of the Rhone correction. According to a media release , the building at the new location in Vétroz reflects Migros’ strong commitment to sustainability.

    Its facade is made of Valais larch wood. The latest technologies are designed to clean the air from dust, odors and ammonia, among other things, before it is released into the atmosphere. In this way, the standards of the Clean Air Act would be met. The dryer for the litter from the poultry farming is supplied by the wood-fired thermal power station installed on the neighboring property. This district heating system also reduces CO2 emissions.

    In addition, Micarna leases the roof area to the Oiken Group. She will operate a photovoltaic system there. Nests for swifts and falcons have been built under the roof.