The first stage, the “Stellwerk 1” office building, was completed in 2010 right next to the historic station building. In addition, the elongated property between the tracks and the station square remained in an exposed location, next to the Wülflingerstrasse underpass. The new "Stellwerk 2" building will be built on this centrally located open space, on which the SBB staff restaurant was formerly located and which houses an underground signal box that is to be preserved. The area forms the north-eastern end of a high-quality urban space that has undergone significant changes in recent years, emphasizes the team of architects. A new building in this exposed location will be very easy to see from many sides, which underlines its importance as an important building block in Winterthur's urban structure, according to the architects. "Stellwerk 2" is a mixed-use building with seventy apartments, two office floors, retail and catering areas on the ground floor and 500 bicycle parking spaces in the basement. ■
Tag: Zürich
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Zurich moves into the bubble zone
UBS explains in a press release on the current edition of the UBS Global Real Estate Bubble Index that the euro area has the most overvalued housing markets of the 25 cities observed around the world. For Munich, Frankfurt, Toronto, Hong Kong, Paris, Amsterdam and Zurich, the analysts even identify a bubble risk. Overvaluations of residential real estate are attested in the cities of Vancouver, London, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Stockholm, Geneva, San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Sydney, Moscow and New York.
This year, Zurich has risen to the bubble risk category for the first time, the analysts explain in the press release. You have also observed the strongest price increase of all Swiss economic regions for the metropolis. The supply on the housing market grew relatively quickly in the reporting period. If, according to the announcement, the market for owner-occupied properties has dried up, the majority of the newly built apartments will ultimately be rented out.
The analysts put Geneva at a lower price level and a lower index value than Zurich. However, the city made up for its losses from 2013 to 2016 in the wake of the recent price hike. Despite the overvalued housing market, the city can benefit from its international orientation and its attraction to foreign nationals.
Compared to last year's Bubble Index, prices in many European metropolises have risen by more than 5 percent, the press release explains. "At this point in time it is impossible to say to what extent higher unemployment and a bleak outlook for household incomes will affect house prices," said Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, quoted there. "It is clear, however, that the current acceleration is not sustainable in the short term."
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Zurich's real estate fund is now in the top 3
In just two years, Zurich Invest AG has become an important provider of real estate investments, the company writes in a press release . With the capital increase in September and a future total volume of CHF 1.3 billion, your fund “ZIF Immobilien Direkt Schweiz” will become one of the largest unlisted Swiss real estate funds. Zurich Invest Ltd launched the fund in October 2018. The first capital increase took place last year.
The real estate fund's rapid growth is possible "because Zurich , as a global insurer, is one of the most important property owners in Switzerland and has been able to build up a portfolio of attractive buildings over a long period of time," the press release said. The changed range of life insurance companies also accounts for the 80 percent share of first-class real estate in the Zurich fund. Since they now contain fewer guarantee products, less real estate is required to guarantee the obligations. "This is why Zurich has the opportunity to transfer properties in the most desirable locations to a fund."
As it is said, the second capital increase will run for around 340 million francs and will take place on October 21. The subscription period is from September 21st to October 2nd. The new tranche comprises a total of 20 properties. "In addition to their prime location, the buildings are characterized by the fact that we are pursuing the goal of operating them in a CO2-neutral manner in the future," said Martin Gubler, CEO of Zurich Invest AG. The first two tranches of the fund in 2018 and 2019 were heavily oversubscribed. He is "extremely satisfied" with his performance.
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The canton of Zurich and SBB are planning bike and bus projects together
The Canton of Zurich wants to work more closely with SBB on upcoming projects. According to a cantonal press release , both partners want to use synergies and save costs. For the canton of Zurich it has been shown that it makes sense to integrate the three cantonal projects to expand the bike and bus network into the major Brüttenertunnel project and to work on these projects together with the SBB.
"The Brüttenertunnel project offers the opportunity to hand in hand the most extensive bike project to date in the Canton of Zurich and to expand public transport in the Glattal region," said Economics Director Carmen Walker Späh as quoted in the press release. According to the overall traffic concept of the Canton of Zurich, the share of bicycle traffic in the total traffic volume is to be increased continuously to 8 percent by 2030.
The government council has therefore applied for a property loan of CHF 73.1 million from the cantonal council. The aim is to realize the pilot project of a fast bike route from Zurich-Oerlikon via Wallisellen and Dübendorf to the Zurich Oberland "barrier-free, coherent, safe and comfortable".
A main bicycle connection from the Im Lampitzäckern quarter in Dietlikon along the SBB route in the direction of Baltenswil, a main bicycle connection, is intended as a feeder to this rapid cycle route. It is also part of this synergy project. With the redesign of Bahnhofstrasse, the cycle route in Dietlikon and Wangen-Brüttisellen is to be continuously expanded to become the main connection and the network gap in the direction of Baltenswil is to be closed.
Finally, in the course of the construction work on the Brüttener Tunnel, the Baltensilerstrasse underpass in Bassersdorf will be removed. In addition, the canton is planning a bus lane in order to be able to prefer the bus service from Baltenswil to Bassersdorf train station.
The planning approval process for the Brüttener Tunnel and the three accompanying projects will run from 2023 to 2025. The accompanying projects will be handed over to the public in stages before the tunnel is due to go into operation at the end of 2034 at the earliest.
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André Ingold is the new president of the airport region
180 representatives of members of the business network took part in the eighth general assembly of the FRZ on September 15 in Dübendorf, the FRZ informed in a message . The FRZ currently includes 644 companies, twelve cities and municipalities, and 19 associations and associations from the region. At the end of the 2019 financial year, the business network had just under 640 members.
At this year's General Assembly, President René Huber resigned from his position, is further explained in the announcement. Huber (SVP), who has been mayor of Kloten since 2006, was “significantly involved in the creation” of the FRZ in 2011, it continues. With his resignation, the outgoing president wants to initiate a "staggered renewal of the management structures" of the business network. In recognition of his services to the FRZ, Huber was appointed the first honorary president of the FRZ by the general assembly.
The board of the FRZ had proposed the incumbent mayor of Dübendorf, André Ingold (SVP), as the successor to Huber. The participants in the General Assembly unanimously followed this proposal, writes the FRZ. Jan Schibli from the Schibli Group and the mayor of Dietlikon, Edith Zuber (SVP), were also newly elected to the board.
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The Zurich economic area impresses with its access to talent
The Greater Zurich Area offers companies access to a large pool of first-class talent. Sonja Wollkopf Walt, CEO of the location marketing organization Greater Zurich Area ( GZA ), describes this as one of the most important attractions of the location in an interview with The Place Brand Observer ( TPBO ). Switzerland is listed as the world champion for innovation in several rankings. This has also been recognized by companies such as Google, IBM, Disney or Biogen, which have set up their research locations in the greater Zurich area.
First-class technology, Swiss reliability and stability meet in the Greater Zurich Area, emphasizes Wollkopf Walt in an interview. Especially against the background of global trade conflicts or the corona pandemic, this is an important added value for companies.
Despite the negative effects of the corona pandemic as a whole, it has also brought about new developments at some companies or accelerated research activities. Wollkopf Walt highlights, for example, HeiQ . The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH ) is developing a technology that can protect textiles against viruses. Fabrics treated with the technology can block the corona virus by 99.9 percent.
The costs in Switzerland are higher than in many European countries. At the same time, however, it is fair to say that the price-performance ratio in the Zurich economic area is good, according to Wollkopf Walt. Workers in Switzerland have one of the highest productivity levels in the world, she adds.
When it comes to start-ups, the three most important factors that are necessary for a flourishing start-up ecosystem are present in the Greater Zurich Area: talent, capital and customers. Wollkopf Walt also points out that 2019 was a record year for start-up investments. In addition, four start-ups from the Greater Zurich Area have achieved unicorn status – that is, they are valued at more than 1 billion dollars.
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ETH spin-off binds CO2 in broken concrete
If the concrete industry were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world. It produces around four times as much CO2 as all global air traffic. The start-up Neustark , a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ( ETH ), is countering this with its concept: the mineralization of carbon dioxide from the air to obtain limestone.
Neustark binds CO2 in the pores and on the surface of concrete granulate. This upgraded granulate can then be mixed in fresh concrete as a substitute for sand and gravel. Thanks to these granules, less cement is required while the properties remain the same. This emerges from a communication from the ETH.
“What appealed to me was that the solution would not be available for five or ten years, but already now,” says business economist Valentin Gutknecht, who is responsible for the operational aspects of the business in the ever-growing Neustark team. Together with Johannes Tiefenthaler, he wants to turn this climate-positive business idea into reality. Tiefenthaler is doing his doctorate at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering ( MAVT ) on the next generation of technology for the mineralization of carbon dioxide.
There is a lot of research going on in the construction sector, but so far the industry has only achieved small reductions in emissions, so Tiefenthaler. The advantage of the concrete granulate is that it is highly reactive and the broken concrete forms a very stable chemical compound even without climate-damaging pre-treatment with carbon dioxide.
Your pilot plant for recycling concrete is funded by the Federal Office for the Environment ( FOEN ) and the Swiss Climate Foundation. The project is now intended to demonstrate the added value along the entire value chain. Neustark's goal: negative emissions for which there are only "very few technical approaches". The start-up wants to show "that negative emissions can not only bring costs but even economic benefits".
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The first multi-energy systems from Soleco are in use
A ready-to-use multi-energy management system has evolved from an award-winning product idea from Soleco . It has already been put into operation in two single-family houses in Maur in the canton of Zurich. It will soon also be used in an apartment building there. According to a message from startupticker.ch, talks are currently underway about equipping a district under construction in Zurich.
In the year it was founded, Soleco, together with its partners Geminise and Vela Solaris , won the CSEM Digital Journey Award in the amount of 100,000 francs in 2018. The private and non-profit Swiss Electronics and Microtechnology Research Center ( CSEM ) claims to promote "added value for a sustainable world". CSEM provided Soleco with technological expertise in order to realize their "groundbreaking digital idea".
Together they developed an intelligent and predictive control system. The software intended for laypeople is based on weather forecasts, the available infrastructure, consumption habits of the residents and energy costs on the market. "The platform then functions like a conductor who manages the resources autonomously and reduces costs," the message says.
"All decisions that the control system makes are associated with an optimal cost," explains Tomasz Gorecki, one of the CSEM engineers. "If, for example, the photovoltaic system is in operation, the controller can determine whether it is better to charge your electric vehicle, store the energy or sell it to the grid." The platform works for individual households, but is above all suitable for self-consumption communities that jointly use different renewable energy sources for several apartments.
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Fabian Streiff becomes the top Zurich location promoter
There is a change at the top of the business location promotion department at the Zurich Office for Economics and Labor. Markus Assfalg is retiring after eleven years as head of location promotion, as announced by the office. He will be replaced by Fabian Streiff . The 35-year-old has been with the Basel Area Business & Innovation since the beginning of 2019 and heads the DayOne healthcare initiative. Prior to that, he was co-head of Basel-Stadt's economic development department.
Streiff holds a doctorate in economic geography from the University of Bern and a Master of Science from the University of Zurich .
One of the first to congratulate the cantonal location promotion and to Fabian Streiff is the location promoter of the city of Schlieren , Albert Schweizer. "We are very pleased with the choice of Fabian Streiff," he says. "We have known Fabian Streiff for a long time and have followed his work in the canton of Basel-Stadt very carefully."
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The first high-alpine solar plant will be in production from September
From September the first high-alpine solar project in Bergell will deliver natural electricity. As the operator Elektrizitätswerke der Stadt Zürich ( ewz ) announced in a press release , most of the more than 1200 photovoltaic (PV) panels have now been installed on the Albigna dam.
For the assembly work, a so-called bridge inspection device was transported to the dam wall with the Albigna cable car. Most of the construction work was carried out by ewz employees from Bergell.
Citizens from Zurich and Graubünden have the opportunity to purchase half, one, three or five square meters of the PV area and thus make a contribution to environmental and climate protection. The public participation model ewz.solarzüri provides that ewz customers are credited 180 kilowatt hours of solar power per square meter per year on their electricity bill. The term is 20 years. The one-off costs per square meter are CHF 560.
From August 14, interested parties can find out more and order panel space on the websites ewz.ch/solargrischun and ewz.ch/solar-für-alle . Until then, these links lead to the current page of ewz.solarzüri.
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Axpo President calls for a sliding market premium
In a joint guest commentary for the “Tages-Anzeiger”, two leading representatives of the Swiss energy industry take a hard line against the Federal Council's plans to implement the Energy Strategy 2050. “Switzerland has the wrong instruments for promoting renewable energies. We have a suggestion on how this can be changed, ”write Thomas Sieber, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the energy company Axpo , and Gianni Operto, President of AEE Suisse , the umbrella organization for renewable energies and energy efficiency.
The proposal can be summarized in two words: Moving market premium. The Federal Council proposes a model with investment contributions for the energy law revision. The amounts are fixed in advance. From the authors' point of view, the problem is that it will hardly be possible to determine the most economically efficient contribution amount. Either there is unnecessary over-funding or too little funds are budgeted, which leads to the shutdown of plants that are no longer profitable. The sliding market premium, for which a “broad alliance of the Swiss energy industry” advocates, is already being used successfully in other countries. Production capacities would be put out to tender in a competition. "Those interested with the lowest offers are guaranteed a minimum remuneration for the electricity produced over a certain period of time – but only if the market price does not cover this." The sliding market premium supports precisely and only as much as necessary. It is therefore not a subsidy, but a fair price tag for a central service.
Since the expansion of renewable capacities in Switzerland is currently not profitable for electricity suppliers, Swiss energy suppliers and institutional investors invested abroad. At the end of 2019, the expansion of renewable capacities financed in this way had increased to 11.5 terawatt hours, almost a fifth of the total annual production in Switzerland.
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Virtual real estate fair Home-E-Fair starts
The idea for the Home-E-Fair was born out of necessity, according to a media release. Because the real estate trade fair season has so far completely fallen into the water due to the Covid 19 crisis. Georges Luks, CEO and Delegate of the Board of Directors of Zurich Sotheby's International Realty , explains how the idea came about to replace trade fairs with a physical presence with a virtual one: “In the home office, it became clear to us that such a trade fair could actually be virtual without any problems can take place. With Crowdhouse we were able to set up this pilot project in a short time. We believe that this model will also be relevant in the future and are motivated to set up further virtual trade fairs on an even larger scale. "
At the five-day virtual trade fair from July 22nd, interested parties can log into the trade fair platform from home, study real estate offers, and exchange ideas with consultants via live or video chat. In addition, as at every real estate fair, a number of roundtables and lectures are offered.
At the fair, the partners Zurich Sotheby's International Realty and Crowdhouse complement each other in real estate, from condominiums to multi-family houses, in which Crowdhouse specializes. Ardian Gjeloshi, founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Crowdhouse: "Both Zurich Sotheby's International Realty and Crowdhouse speak to the same target group – but from different perspectives: living and investing."