This new build for the City of Basel Canton Ministry for Environment and Energy is the first inner-city administration building in Switzerland designed to gain Swiss Minergie-A ECO certification. As befits the ministry’s remit, the zero-energy office building is intended to serve as a shining example of highly resource-efficient construction and inspire like-minded projects.

Our three apprentices Timo Meerstetter, Stefanie Steinacher and Dan Scharwächter achieved double-gold with their bridge made from wooden lolly sticks in a competition run by the Swiss Association of Road and Transportation Experts (VSS) – winning first prize overall and in the special category “aesthetics”. Congratulations all round!

The 83rd ImmoTable was held at Zurich Canton Electricity Works in Dietikon on 21 March. Each event highlights the advantages of a business region or location, together with interesting projects in the private and public civil engineering sectors and prime examples of plot utilisation. The ImmoTable forum is a major B2B event for the Swiss construction and real estate sector.

Our Attico Brunch was held at the “Au Premier” restaurant in Zurich Main Rail Station on 1 March. The topic was “The opportunities and potential unleashed by the City of Zurich’s new construction and zone directive (BZO)”.

A cosy, ecologically sustainable community of six detached, timber family homes. Instead of being lined up in a row, the buildings are arranged in a natural pattern. This group of privately owned houses with gardens has a shared open space at its heart and communal parking areas. The buildings are carefully arranged to create differently accented spaces in between. Neighbours can interact and socialise in the shared open space at the heart of the community. Two houses have already been sold.

The Talk section in the December issue of Holzrevue examines the potential of wood when it comes to adding extra storeys and constructing new replacement buildings. The trend towards high-density building in cities and agglomerations is bringing wood to the fore. Our division head Remo Marti took part in the discussion.