St. Gallen intends to offer financial incentives to owners of properties outside building zones to encourage them to demolish empty or unsightly buildings. To this end, the government is submitting an amendment to the Planning and Building Act for consultation. As things stand, the first payments

Temperatures of 39 degrees in German-speaking Switzerland and tropical nights in the cities are shifting the focus when it comes to home ownership. Prospective buyers are paying closer attention to shade, greenery and protection from the summer heat, whilst overheated locations and poorly insulated

A good energy label should protect against the summer heat, not give in to it. More and more residents of Minergie buildings are complaining that their apartments heat up to 28 to 29 degrees despite strict standards. The Minergie Association is now responding by considering a possible tightening of

Anyone who digs a tunnel ends up producing millions of metric tons of soil and rock, most of which has, until now, ended up unused in landfills. A new research project at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences aims to change exactly that and use this excavated material to produce a

Sustainable construction is often seen as an expensive luxury rather than a smart investment. A new study using the Empa and Eawag campus parking garage as an example shows the opposite. Investing in flexibility today saves millions tomorrow. The proof lies in an unassuming wooden building in

Construction of a mixed-use residential and commercial building is set to begin in early August on the site of the former EPA car park in Grenchen. The plans include a new bank branch on the ground floor, 28 rental flats on the upper floors, and occupancy is expected around two years after

On Lägernstrasse in Dietikon, postwar buildings that have long outlived their usefulness are being demolished. In their place, a new urban neighborhood is taking shape—one that not only provides housing but also showcases what urban densification can look like in the Limmat Valley. It features

Six years of dialogue, two white papers, an architectural competition featuring six teams—and now the design plan is on the table. The Limmattal Energy Center (LEZ) is no longer just a promise. It is a project that will shape Dietikon and the Limmattal for generations to come. Anyone who wants to

Switzerland once again reduced its CO₂ emissions in 2025. Emissions from fuels fell particularly sharply, by about 5 percent. This is a clear signal for the real estate sector, as more efficient buildings and an increase in renewable heating systems were, according to the federal government, the

In 2026, Swiss residential real estate will remain the preferred source of stability for many institutional portfolios. At the same time, ESG requirements, renovation costs, and location quality are having a greater impact on valuations than in the past, particularly for older office and

For a long time, Urdorf was considered a quiet suburban community in the Limmat Valley. But anyone walking through the Nordquartier today can immediately sense that something is changing here. On a former industrial site, an urban living and working space is gradually taking shape—one that has

Since 1969, a massive concrete cube has dominated the cityscape of Dietikon. Anyone walking past the Limmattal Education Center might at first glance see only postwar architecture. But the Canton of Zurich is spending 42 million francs to renovate this historic building and transform it into a

Climate change, resource scarcity, and the energy crisis are taking a toll on society. An international research team sees robotics as an untapped lever for change. In the journal *Nature Machine Intelligence*, the scientists call for a radical shift in thinking. Their proposal, called

Zurich plans to decommission the gas distribution network between Hauptbahnhof and Bürkliplatz between 2033 and 2035, depending on the situation. This increases the pressure on approximately 500 buildings to switch their heating and cooking systems to the CoolCity lake water network or other

In Schlieren, a new neighbourhood is taking shape on a former industrial site, offering a glimpse of what urban life in Switzerland might look like in the future. Two projects by the same developer take contrasting approaches that complement each other perfectly. On the one hand: wood, bread and

In the future, a building will be considered a historic monument only if it meets at least two of four strict criteria. On July 2, 2026, the Zurich Cantonal Council approved a revision of the Planning and Building Act for submission to the Cantonal Assembly, which will significantly simplify

Same apartment, same square meters, completely different price. A housing cooperative in Lucerne is turning the traditional rental system on its head and rewarding large households instead of those with small budgets. The idea sounds simple, but it strikes a chord that’s resonating throughout the

A crack in a steel component usually means either a costly replacement or continuing to use it at the risk of danger. Empa researchers are now pointing to a third option. With metallic 3D printing, damaged steel components can be repaired in a targeted manner without having to replace them

With 76.6 per cent of the public voting in favour and a construction loan of 44.3 million Swiss francs, the city is building a completely new care home. On the site of the former, outdated Sandbühl, a building is to be constructed by 2028 that combines housing, care and city life. It is a project

Zephyr West marks the start of the final major construction phase of the industrial transformation at the company’s main site in Zug. The new headquarters brings together development, training and administration, and signals the transition from the vertical factory to the next phase of the tech

The Canton of Geneva plans to renovate around 300 particularly energy-intensive public buildings by 2038. The programme is allocating 1.25 billion Swiss francs to those properties that account for the lion’s share of building-related emissions, thereby increasing the pressure to renovate public

With effect from 1 July 2026, the Canton of Fribourg is establishing the legal framework for a demolition incentive outside the building zone. This move implements the revised Spatial Planning Act and increases the pressure on property owners, local authorities and planning authorities to manage

In Pregassona, Artisa intends to secure the next phase of Parco Ceresio. With the planning application now submitted, the redevelopment of the area between Via Ceresio and Via Maggi is moving closer to realisation, transforming an ongoing residential project into a larger-scale neighbourhood

Cities are heating up like frying pans. Concrete and asphalt trap the heat, while sewer systems carry rainwater away—precisely when it’s needed most. Baden is now doing the opposite and showing how urban planning can be the answer to climate

For decades, wood was the material of choice for single-family homes and vacation chalets. Those days are over. In Regensdorf, a 75-meter-tall residential tower made of beech wood and concrete soars into the sky. Starting in 2030, a terminal building made of wood—unique in the world for its

At the end of June 2026, temperatures in Germany exceeded the 40-degree mark for the first time ever in June. In Möckern-Drewitz, Saxony-Anhalt, the thermometer read 41.5 degrees Celsius, a new all-time record. This is no fluke. It is the result of decades of poorly planned urban

The Canton of Fribourg owns 661 buildings. Many of them are dilapidated, many are energy-inefficient, and without intervention, the situation will deteriorate drastically in just a few years. The Grand Council approved a framework credit of 150 million Swiss francs by a vote of 81 to 4 to address

Around 800 pupils attend the Kalktarren school complex in Schlieren, one of the largest school buildings in the canton of Zurich. The complex is now set to undergo its most far-reaching transformation since it opened in 1970. On 28 September 2025, voters gave the go-ahead with 74 per cent voting in

According to available data, 84.3 million Swiss francs have been invested in renovations in Basel-Stadt since May 2022. The trend since November 1, 2025, is particularly striking: With the revised ordinance, the permissible surcharges are rising significantly, especially in the comprehensive

Halter AG has handed over the modern ZenO residential complex in the centre of Oberdorf to its residents. The complex comprises 50 new flats as well as commercial premises. The project was commissioned by the Nidwalden Cantonal Pension Fund. The first residents have already moved