New JED construction – a building concept of the past for the future

The real estate industry is increasingly investing in technology to enable energy-efficient construction and building operation that is as environmentally friendly as possible. The counter-concept to high-tech real estate development, which nevertheless maintains the focus on sustainability, is «2226». Swiss Prime Site Immobilien plans to construct a building of this kind – as devised by Prof. Dietmar Eberle – in Schlieren by 2022. The building concept is based on basic architectural techniques. The buildings are constructed using a solid construction method that has a strong storage effect. The surfaces and materials are also selected in order to regulate changes in temperature as effectively as possible. The result is high-quality buildings for the future that need no heating, ventilation, air conditioning or external energy supply. The aim is to be able to maintain an internal temperature of 22–26^oC. Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, explains: «Our new construction project in Schlieren will set new efficiency standards in terms of cost, energy and space. Maintenance and operating costs will be 50% less than for standard properties. The building technology will be chiefly limited to control software, minimising energy consumption. In addition, the building will have high utilisation neutrality. It’s the perfect mix, and is sure to win over investors, builders and future tenants in the long term.»

2226 – healthy working at the ideal room temperature

People prefer to live and work in spaces with a temperature of around 22–26^oC. The air quality in traditional office buildings often suffers during both the cold and warm seasons. In the new JED building, minimal technical installations (monitoring/management) will keep the temperature and the air quality within the ideal spectrum by natural means. Sensors throughout the building will be alerted when thresholds for CO₂, humidity and temperature are reached, at which point windows will open or close automatically, for example, in order to restore «the ideal room temperature». The intelligent design and dimensions of the windows mean that, even in the height of summer, neither shade nor artificial light will be necessary in order to continue working in these modern office spaces. Gianfranco Basso, Head of Construction at Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, says: «Our feasibility studies for the new building have shown that we will be able to carry out the project as planned using the 2226 building concept. We are convinced that we will be able to win over our future tenants with the outstanding architecture, atmosphere, look, feel and – above all – sustainability of the building.»