Swiss Construction and Real Estate Forum: Sustainable construction - sustainable real estate
"Developing and building together" was the focus of the Swiss Construction and Real Estate Forum on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at the Suurstoffi in Rotkreuz. Over 100 construction and real estate experts shared their experiences of working together and against each other in planning and building.
The conventional division of labor often does not lead to the desired result when planning and building complex structures or large-scale areas in cities and municipalities. Many organizations are therefore adapting their structures and processes in order to meet the challenges of the networked world in terms of quality of life, efficiency and, above all, sustainability. One possible approach is integrated project delivery, in which all parties involved work together towards a common goal in a spirit of partnership and shared responsibility.
Adrian Steiner from Thermoplan demonstrated this in his presentation. During the construction of a new production and administration building in Weggis, Thermoplan used integral project management with very satisfactory results. Steiner recommended the concept as "not perfect, but an important and good step". Patrick Suter from Erne AG Holzbau explained how important it is in construction projects to involve key companies at an early stage, to consciously form teams for specific tasks and to use joint incentive systems. He advised carrying out follow-up projects with a similar composition wherever possible: People know each other, everything is practiced and this results in the greatest possible added value for the customer.
Better together
Sarah Gäumann, City Planning Biel, explained how entire districts are developed in participatory processes with a large number of stakeholders. The interaction between private individuals, the city and non-profit housing developers, an active land policy with land conversions,Öland swaps and the sale of residential land under building rights, as well as the coordination of private and public construction projects have proven to be effective. Michael Camenzind from Suter von Känel Wild Planer und Architekten, who spoke about the benefits of the SNBS site standard for test and special use planning, also took the view that it was important to initiate processes together, both with and without the label. However, he also emphasized the pioneering role of such labels, which often influenced the legislative process.
Martin Tschirren from the Federal Office for Housing presented the "Housing Shortage Action Plan" of the federal government, cantons, municipalities and representatives of the real estate and construction industry. This is intended to increase the supply of affordable housing with the help of numerous measures. Robert Weinert also emphasized the importance of such initiatives. The proportion of vacant apartments is too low in 21 out of 26 cantons. Only the supply of expensive apartments is increasing. Anyone who moves must expect to pay a higher rent due to the increase in available rents, which poses problems for many households. Matthias Catto from PwC Switzerland warned that the fact that rental costs are rising faster than incomes reinforces the need for political action to regulate. This in turn is unsettling institutional investors, who are therefore delaying renovations. He presented a tool that can be used to calculate the economically optimal refurbishment strategy for a property. The participants were able to test this themselves in a workshop.
Using conflicts as opportunities
The plenum agreed that joint development, planning and construction always leads to better solutions. But where people work together, there are also conflicts. Tanja Pohle, Pom+Consulting AG, showed how these can be used as opportunities in projects and organizations. Successful conflict resolution requires empathy, clear communication and a shared focus on solutions. It allows the team to emerge stronger from the situation and work together more efficiently.
The great interest in the event, the enthusiastic participation in the morning workshops and the lively discussions during the afternoon presentations show that the search for new forms of collaboration in construction is of interest to many. The best practices presented can serve as a signpost for the direction in which construction will develop in the future.
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). This year, over 100 construction and real estate experts attended the event. The next Swiss Construction and Real Estate Forum will take place on November 12, 2025.
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.
