Swiss Construction and Real Estate Forum: Sustainable construction - sustainable real estate
"Sufficiency - How less becomes more": The focus topic of this year’s Swiss Construction and Real Estate Forum attracted over 110 construction and real estate experts to Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Rotkreuz. They discussed sufficiency in construction - from an architectural, operational and economic perspective. And they all agreed: sufficiency is not a sacrifice, but an honest answer to the question: What do we really need?
Sufficiency looks for the "right" measure: what is needed for a good life that also conserves the earth’s natural resources? This question also applies to the construction and operation of buildings. Sufficiency in construction means using as little land, energy and raw materials as possible. Ways to achieve this goal include renovating and repurposing existing structures instead of building new ones, building in easily accessible locations to reduce commuter traffic and reducing per capita land consumption.
In his presentation, Nico Müller from Wüest Partner AG highlighted specific levers for more living space on less land. Co-living concepts with shared spaces - especially for older people, who require an above-average amount of living space - the transformation of underused areas - such as empty offices due to working from home - or densification through upzoning would be possible solutions for saving land. Marco Salvi from Avenir Suisse also emphasized that land is a scarce commodity, the "ultimate resource". Spatial planning laws should curb land consumption. But sufficiency alone would not solve the problem. More and more people are living in ever smaller households. In the city of Zurich, 46 percent of households are currently one-person households. However, the household structure is decisive for the consumption of living space. That is why we need to ask ourselves how household formation can be controlled with new incentives, such as bonuses for moving out of apartments that are too large, for example when children move out.
Using cycles and nature
Christine Steiner Bächi, KOS PartnerInnen GmbH, used the example of the "nordnordost" development in Zurich to show how to build in a way that conserves resources by using cycles. There, a circular sanitary system treats the wastewater on site and feeds it back into the cycle. The grey water is used to flush the toilets, but also to irrigate the fields where the vegetables are grown, which is included in the rental contract in the form of a vegetable subscription. Daniel Tschudy, Velux Schweiz AG, explained that human well-being must also be at the center of sufficient building. Good air quality and plenty of daylight are almost more important for well-being than living space. This can be achieved with more windows and greater room height, for example, instead of a lot of expensive technology. This not only improves the mental and physical health of residents, but also saves energy.
Sufficiency through efficiency
Using efficiency to achieve greater sufficiency at Zurich Airport: Andres Stierli, Head of Technical Facility Management at Flughafen Zürich AG, spoke about this. The focus is on efficiency through the optimal use of space and needs-based system operation with reduced operating hours - for example, by means of air conditioning systems that predictively take passenger volumes into account. From 2030, the new Dock A building will be built largely from sustainable wood and equipped with photovoltaics, so that a large part of the dock’s electricity requirements can be covered.
Discovering and utilizing hidden qualities
Gion A. Caminada, Professor Emeritus of Architecture at ETH Zurich, called for the challenges of our time, such as climate change, to be tackled with architectural means. Sufficiency is not renunciation, but the discovery of (still) hidden qualities. Caminada showed inspiring examples of climate-friendly living from his work, such as the "Burggarta" housing estate in Valendas, where rooms with active (heating) and passive (sun) heating and therefore different temperatures are grouped around the kitchen as the social core, which is the coolest room in summer and the warmest in winter. In addition to saving energy, the architecture also allows residents to connect with nature and the seasons in the interior spaces.
The plenum agreed that sufficiency in the construction and operation of buildings is still in its infancy and that there is still a lot of potential to be discovered. The great interest in the event showed that the participants want to embark on this journey of discovery. The examples presented showed the direction it could take.
The Swiss Construction and Real Estate Forum is organized by the Institute of Building Technology and Energy (IGE) and the Institute of Financial Services Zug (IFZ) at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts in collaboration with the Swiss Sustainable Building Network (NNBS). The next Swiss Building and Real Estate Forum will take place on November 11, 2026.
About the Swiss Sustainable Building Network NNBS
The aim of the NNBS is to promote sustainable building in Switzerland. With over 180 members from business, the public sector, research and education, it has a broad base. This enables it to join forces and create a common understanding. By providing useful tools and ensuring the necessary framework conditions, it promotes implementation in practice.
