Strong wood presence at the ‘Swiss Arc Award’ 2025
At the twelfth 'Swiss Arc Award' in Baden, the focus was on wood as the material of the future. The 418 projects submitted included innovative and sustainable buildings that stand for a new architectural responsibility.
On October 30, the jury honored the best buildings of the year from over 400 submissions. The award, presented at Trafo Baden in front of over 500 guests from architecture and the construction industry, underlines the creative diversity and technical maturity of Swiss planning culture. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Kaschka Knapkiewicz and Axel Fickert, whose work has had a decisive influence on local architecture for decades.
Sustainability and functionality
The Hortus office building in Allschwil by Herzog & de Meuron won in the “Work, Production & Infrastructure” category thanks to its systematic climate protection and material intelligence. The new University Children’s Hospital Zurich, the winning project in the “Education & Health” category, was also designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Its horizontal structure creates bright, open pathways and a new typology of hospital building that combines functionality with humanity.
Wood as a design leitmotif
The Guggach residential and commercial development in Zurich by Donet Schäfer Reimer Architekten won in the “Residential” category. Climate-optimized concrete and timber construction elements demonstrate how sustainable building materials can interact constructively and aesthetically. Andreas Fuhrimann and Gabrielle Hächler were awarded the first prize for interior design for their sensitive conversion of a terraced house in Gockhausen. Wood permeates surfaces, furniture and construction as a connecting element and emotional carrier of spatial quality.
Audience award for multi-purpose building in Lavaux
The multi-purpose building in Forel by Samir Alaoui Architectes won the audience award. The stacking of industrial and residential use creates an architectural unit with a high degree of spatial intelligence. Here too, the timber construction underlines the fact that sustainable construction and architectural expressiveness are not mutually exclusive.
The Swiss Arc Award 2025 confirms that wood is not just a building material, but an expression of a new culture of responsibility in the Swiss construction industry.