immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: SNBS

  • Impetus for sustainable site development

    Impetus for sustainable site development

    Switzerland is one step ahead with the harmonisation of labels. Minergie-Areal focuses on energy efficiency, comfort and climate-friendly mobility and, with its streamlined certification process, is ideal for smaller, manageable sites. It sets clear specifications, for example for building quality and monitoring. SNBS-Areal is convincing for large, complex sites of 10,000 m² or more and covers social, economic and ecological aspects in equal measure. With 30 tested criteria and a broad sustainability assessment, it also serves as a basis for ESG reporting and special utilisation planning

    The example of Kraftwerk1 in Zurich
    Kraftwerk1 demonstrates the value of self-organisation, diversity and solidarity in urban areas. Democracy, low-car living, social rental models and flexible spaces ensure sustainability in practice. The cooperative structure combines individual appropriation with neighbourhood cohesion and strong environmental responsibility

    Life cycle, costs and sufficiency as levers
    Costs are reduced in the long term where product life cycles are extended, recycling is promoted and resources are optimally utilised. Beat Salzmann explains how life cycle management and the circular economy influence financial planning. Sustainable buildings are investments in the future. Sufficiency, as Boris Szélpal explains, means targeted reduction and conscious use of materials and energy. It expands the understanding of sustainability to include the aspect of voluntary renunciation, the development of resilient living spaces and social structures

    Sustainable site development is a coordinated process. Standards create clarity, cooperatives live values and sufficiency opens the way to resilient neighbourhoods with a high quality of life and low environmental impact. The future lies in the balance between comfort and indulgence and in the openness to consistently develop new models

  • ZKB offers mortgages for non-profit housing developers

    ZKB offers mortgages for non-profit housing developers

    The Zürcher Kantonalbank is offering a new mortgage for housing cooperatives at favorable financing conditions. According to a press release , non-profit property developers benefit from a reduced interest rate of up to 0.5 percent. This applies both to the extension of existing loans and to a new mortgage.

    The basic requirement for the granting of the ZKB WohnPlus mortgage is that the apartment rents from the housing developer are at least 15 percent below the market rents. “We want to use this to maintain and promote non-profit and affordable housing,” Patrick Bühlmann, corporate customer advisor at Zürcher Kantonalbank, is quoted as saying in the press release. Because in the cities, above all Geneva and Zurich, rising rents are leading to a lack of affordable living space.

    In addition, applicants must meet 29 criteria, seven of which are basic criteria. If the applicant meets a further 14 criteria in stage 1, he will receive a maximum interest rate reduction of 0.3 percent. In order to receive the full 0.5 percent, he must meet a total of 21 requirements based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ( SDG ), the Swiss Sustainable Building Standard ( SNBS ) and the ten guiding principles for non-profit housing in Switzerland.

    If level 1 is initially reached in a construction project, the property developer can prove further criteria later on. In this way, the bank wants to create an incentive “to make further improvements in terms of social performance even during the term”.

  • Consolidation in the Swiss label market

    Consolidation in the Swiss label market

    The handling of the Ecobau requirements, which sometimes formed the basis for the Minergie ECO label, has apparently not yet been finally clarified. As is well known, they have largely been included in the SNBS (Swiss Sustainable Building Standard), as they include topics that will become even more important in the future, namely the circular economy, gray energy, etc. – sustainable buildings are not just buildings that have been optimized in terms of operational energy .

    And yet, this consolidation creates clarity in the market and is also a clear commitment to the SNBS, as a key benchmark in the Swiss construction and real estate market and an important instrument for implementing the Energy Strategy 2050.

    Click here for the media release from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy

  • First SNBS certification level platinum for timber construction in St. Gallen

    First SNBS certification level platinum for timber construction in St. Gallen

    On April 21, Stefanie Steiner from the certification organization SNBS presented the certificate at a certification ceremony in the Tröckneturm St. Gallen and thanked the builder Previs Vorsorge for the good work and handling of the certification.

    The Waldacker development is made up of two long, kinked rows of buildings that hug the natural terrain lengthways. Together they form an interior space that serves as a meeting and communication space for the residents. From the upper edge of the basement, the buildings were almost entirely built using timber system construction with closed, rear-ventilated spruce wood formwork, including the lift shafts. The timber construction was inspired by the historic Tröckneturm, which is located directly next to the superstructure.

    The living room has external areas on both sides in the form of a veranda and an integrated winter garden. The apartments are accessed via a continuous arcade; Access is via external, covered stairwells. Photovoltaic systems were installed on the roofs and the heat supply is ensured by the district heating network of the city of St. Gallen. Between the two rows of buildings, a continuously green inner space with a playground and seating areas invites you to linger. The neighborhood should be kept car-free as much as possible. There is a large number of bicycle parking spaces and charging stations for e-bikes and e-cars. There are also Mobility vehicles that can be used by tenants.

  • SNBS certifications in Basel for sustainability

    SNBS certifications in Basel for sustainability

    On March 30th, Stefanie Steiner, project manager of the certification organization SNBS, presented the certificate to the new cooperative housing project on Schorenweg in Basel and thanked the builder of the Northwest Housing Cooperative for the good work and handling of the certification.

    In particular, great importance was attached to social values such as a multi-purpose room or residents’ café. The SNBS building standard is a building standard that covers the building itself and the site in the context of its surroundings. It enables the needs of society, the economy and the environment to be equally and comprehensively included in planning, construction and operation. The prerequisite for this is the view of the entire life cycle of a property.

    The winning project, which emerged from a competition, is the final building block to close a vacant lot that resulted from the demolition of a former Novartis office building on Schorenweg. 94 apartments can be found in the buildings, which impress with their permeable structure and clearly defined outdoor spaces and passageways. The latter connect the different uses of the public, semi-public and private areas. The roofs accommodate a photovoltaic system with an output of approx. 230,000kWp, the settlement draws the electricity as a group for self-consumption (ZEV).

    Due to the central location near the train station, the number of parking spaces tailored to the use and the numerous bicycle parking spaces, the requirements for mobility from the energy efficiency path can be met. A spacious bicycle storage hall and numerous above-ground parking spaces encourage the use of fuel-free means of transport and support the sustainability concept of the client and the canton. By taking into account the social and economic aspects, which are checked in addition to the energetic criteria in the SNBS building certification, the SNBS building certification is a perfect supplement to the Minergie-P-ECO certification. As a building standard, the SNBS building allows the Comprehensively incorporating the needs of society, the economy and the environment into planning, construction and operation.

  • Minergie and SNBS adopt labels for 2000-watt areas

    Minergie and SNBS adopt labels for 2000-watt areas

    The label for 2000-watt areas will disappear at the end of 2023. According to a statement from the Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), the suppliers of labels for sustainable buildings in Switzerland have agreed on this. The label was previously offered by the SFOE Swiss Energy program.

    In return, the Minergie association will in future also offer a Minergie area label for areas that comply with climate protection. The Swiss Sustainable Building Network , as the sponsor of the Swiss Sustainable Building Standard (SNBS), will create the SNBS-Areal label for the sustainability of sites in all their dimensions.

    At the building label level, there will also be the cantonal building energy certificate (GEAK), the various Minergie categories and the SNBS.

    The bearers of the various labels want to achieve a greater impact by pooling resources. “Sustainable real estate makes a major contribution to climate protection. The trend is positive, but the potential is far from being exhausted,” Marc Mächler, District President of the Canton of St.Gallen and President of the Minergie Association, is quoted as saying in the statement. “The labels complement each other, are better coordinated with each other and builders and planners can find out more easily which label meets their needs.”