

One million square meters new start for Lugano
One million square meters, an inter-municipal planning project, years of political debate and a clear goal. Lugano wants to transform its congested northern edge into a lively urban quarter. The Nuovo Quartiere Cornaredo is the most ambitious urban development project in southern Switzerland. What

Bellinzona dares to undertake a major renovation
trains rolled into the workshop here for 135 years. Researchers, entrepreneurs and families will soon be moving in. On the 120,000 square meter site of the former Officine FFS in Bellinzona, a new urban quarter is being created that combines housing, commerce, education and innovation. Porta del

The city shapes the traffic and the traffic shapes the city
Why does traffic congestion in Los Angeles differ from that in Zurich? And what does the construction of a new neighborhood have to do with commuter traffic? A new study by ETH Zurich provides answers for the first time and provides urban planning with a tool that was previously



Research project develops global corrosion index for construction applications
Sky-Frame and the Institut für Werkstoffsystemtechnik Thurgau (WITG) want to determine the corrosion risk for materials such as aluminium or stainless steel using a global index. The manufacturer of frameless sliding windows wants to link warranty conditions to

Infrastructure project boosts efficiency and safety in flight operations
Construction work has begun at Zurich Airport on a new facility for general aviation in the West Zone. The project comprises a terminal with a hangar and will replace the existing infrastructure in the East. The cost is estimated at around 100 million Swiss


BIM and digital twins the digital partners of buildings
Today, buildings are first built on a computer and then cast in concrete. BIM and digital twins are transforming plans into adaptive data models that slow down cost explosions, reduce operating costs and enable new services for owners, users and cities. What began as a tool to combat Berlin airport

Whoever blocks, pays
An objection about the color of the neighboring house. An appeal that puts a housing project on hold for five years. What is legally possible in Switzerland is set to become much more difficult in future. On April 22, 2026, the Federal Council adopted a postulate report aimed at freeing residential

Solar cells that camouflage themselves
A butterfly has given researchers at Fraunhofer ISE the decisive clue. Solar modules that look like brickwork, roof tiles or individually designed façade elements and generate electricity with almost no loss of power. The new "ShadeCut" technology could resolve a long-standing point of contention:

A lack of clarity in legal requirements is holding back the circular economy
The circular economy is still often held back by a lack of clarity regarding the application of existing regulations. This is shown in a report compiled by ecos in Basel and Rytec in Münsingen (Canton of Bern) for the Zurich Department of Construction. Furthermore, there is a lack of incentives

Digital platform simplifies analysis and development of building constructions
Researchers at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) have developed a digital tool for sustainable construction. On the dkon platform, users can check the impact of individual construction decisions on the environment, costs and construction

Construction and Housing Fair in Wettingen attracts considerable interest
The 19th edition of the Bauen Wohnen trade fair will take place from 16 to 19 April at the Tägi Wettingen Event Centre. The event marks the start of the spring season and offers inspiration for home improvement projects through practical insights into the latest building

Where others park, you soon live
If you're looking for living space in Baden-Dättwil, you'd better look up. Eight modular wooden houses are to be built above a fast food outlet and a supermarket - compact, sustainable and already fully booked. An investor from Aargau proves that unused roofs could be the answer to the housing

The material that thinks – without a brain
Steel bends, rubber stretches, materials always react to forces in the same way. Until now. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam have developed a metamaterial that learns, forgets and adapts flexibly, without a central brain or program code. The study was published in "Nature Physics" and

Zurich tests AI in the building permit process
Check building applications, check completeness, relieve authorities. What has long sounded like a dream of the future is now becoming a reality in the canton of Zurich. Based on a postulate from cantonal councillor Sonja Rueff-Frenkel, the cantonal government has commissioned two studies and has

Lucerne cantonal government plans to set up a foundation for innovation
The Lucerne Cantonal Government has requested a special grant of 24 million Swiss francs from the Cantonal Assembly for the proposed Lucerne Innovation Foundation. The canton aims to use this to boost its competitiveness and support SMEs and start-ups in implementing innovative

Smart building becomes a location factor
Smart buildings are no longer just digitally controlled properties, but operational ESG tools. They measure energy consumption in real time, control lighting, climate and shading automatically and provide reliable data for taxonomy, ratings and regulation. Lighthouses such as The Edge in Amsterdam,

Schlieren is modernising its maintenance depot
The town of Schlieren is renovating its maintenance depot to ensure its long-term operation. Key parts of the facility have exceeded their service life, making modernisation necessary. Furthermore, the current site no longer complies with fire safety and occupational health and safety

New open space concept enhances quality of life and biodiversity
The local council has adopted the Spreitenbach Open Space Concept as a binding framework for future development. Through this concept, it aims to strengthen the identity of the neighbourhoods, promote biodiversity and make the urban environment

Railway station heating plant switched to wood pellets
Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB) has successfully tested the new wood pellet system at the Bahnhof heating plant. Thanks to the switch from natural gas to wood pellets for the production of district heating, 23,000 tonnes of CO2 will be saved. The Volta district heating plant will be the next to be

Beer, concrete and living – Baden builds on its history
For decades, the Müllerbräu site was a piece of Baden's industrial history. Now, the building plans have been dropped and one of the most striking residential projects in the canton of Aargau has emerged. 136 rental apartments, commercial premises, restaurants and a specialty brewery in the

Laufenburg builds windmills at the train station
Opposite Laufenburg station, a residential ensemble is being built that draws strength from the contradictions of its location. Two staggered buildings, a lush green layer and over 30 apartments. Together with Urben Seyboth AG, AWW Architekten AG has won an invited study contract that is far more

When cantons go from being a drag to a location factor
Building permits determine how quickly residential, commercial and energy projects become reality. In Switzerland, analog routines and digital ambitions collide. Those who invest in functioning e-processes today gain speed, transparency and political

Zurich remains the world’s number one smart city
Zurich tops the IMD Smart City Index for the seventh year running. Out of the 148 cities surveyed, Geneva ranks third. Lausanne – which was ranked 10th last year – has climbed back up to seventh place. The index measures how smart citizens consider their city to

Winterthur is turning to solar power from the local area
Seven out of ten households in Winterthur currently have access to solar power from their local area. This is provided by 155 local communities, which bring together 535 of the 2,500 solar installations in Winterthur. The federal government supports local consumption by offering a

