
Olten-Trimbach heating network starts after approval from the cantonal hospital
Aare Energie AG and Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB) are starting to realise the Hagmatt heating network. From 2027, the neighbours Olten and Trimbach should be able to draw 20 gigawatt hours of thermal energy from the groundwater every

Zurich’s “city in the lake”
More than 60 years ago, Zurich architect André E. Bosshard presented a radical vision for Zurich. A new business city, built in the middle of Lake Zurich. The "City im See" project was intended to solve both the housing and traffic crisis. It has remained part of an era of bold but barely


Statics gap in timber construction is closed
Researchers from science and industry are closing a gap in structural calculations in timber construction. The horizontal load-bearing capacity of timber in walls with window openings is calculated using tests and mathematical models. The aim is to save on steel beams and concrete

Dielsdorf data centres to supply district heating for the region
The Green Metro-Campus Zurich, BRUGG Pipes and Energie 360° will use the waste heat from the data centre in Dielsdorf for district heating. The energy from the data centres will supply a total of 11,500 households from six municipalities, industry and commerce from

Furniture made from shuttering boards as an educational project
Industrial designer Björn Ischi has fully equipped the remodelled Building 1 at the Sursee campus with circular furniture. He has created sustainable training and office facilities for the education and seminar centre from used materials that are economically competitive with standard market

Biochar concrete opens up prospects for a climate-neutral construction industry
Ulrich Imboden AG, Logbau, Novakies and Toggenburger have founded KLARK AG. Together, they want to make a concrete available throughout Switzerland that is CO2-neutral thanks to the use of biochar. The aim is to turn buildings and infrastructure into CO2



Efficiency in timber construction thanks to statics
A research project by Empa, Bern University of Applied Sciences and ETH Zurich is closing a gap in the structural analysis of timber constructions. New models and large-scale tests should make window walls usable as load-bearing elements in the future and make timber construction more economical


Fraunhofer ISE Testlab sets standard for inverters
Stable system operation is essential for the success of the energy transition. In the future, renewable power sources and storage systems will have to take on grid-forming properties. Fraunhofer ISE's new test procedure provides clarity in the market and accelerates the development of

Researchers are working on clean water for cities of the future
Researchers from Eawag and the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland are participating in the EU project UrbanM20. The aim of the project, which is led by the Danish Technical University, is to improve the monitoring and management of water management in

New solar plant boosts renewable energy production in the Alpine region
The government of Graubünden has approved the construction of the Alpin Parsenn large-scale photovoltaic plant in Davos. This means that the municipal utility alliance Swisspower can now begin construction of the 14-hectare plant at an altitude of 2,500 meters in the Parsenn ski

Construction project becomes a learning laboratory for students and researchers
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) is turning the HIL building on Hönggerberg into a living lab. During its careful refurbishment and extension, professors, students and researchers will be testing new approaches to circular and resource-saving construction until around


Disbursements of subsidies for energy-efficient refurbishments stagnate in 2024
The disbursement of subsidies for energy-efficient renovations stagnated in 2024 for the first time since 2016 and totalled CHF 528 million. The subsidies reduced the energy consumption of buildings by 12 billion kilowatt hours and CO2 emissions by 3.5 million


Basel tests CO2-free operation of construction sites
The canton of Basel-Stadt is trialling the potential for CO2-free construction site operations. In a pilot project with the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the planning office EcoForce GmbH, a waste collection centre is being built with electric construction machinery. The

Simple building needs courage and less bureaucracy
In Switzerland, "simple building" is not failing because of the law, but because of uncertainty, overregulation and a lack of trust. SIA legal advisor and National Councillor Beat Flach calls for more pragmatism, less bureaucracy and a strengthening of existing

New tower approved for Zurich Airport
The federal government has approved the construction of the new tower at Zurich Airport. The control tower is to be built from 2027 and will later become part of the sustainable new Dock A replacement building. This will not only modernize air traffic control, but also implement a forward-looking

Students consider Food Factory in Basel
Students from the Institute of Architecture at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland have spent a year analysing the food cycle. The idea of setting up a food factory in the centre of Basel was evaluated. All stages of the cycle are to be mapped







