Innovative glazing for NEST units
Saint-Gobain Switzerland is now a NEST partner. The company will initially equip two units, Sprint and HiLo, with glazing that covers a broad spectrum – from high-tech to re-use. Later on, the NEST team will launch more projects with various Saint-Gobain subsidiaries from the building materials sector to further advance sustainability in the construction sector.
Construction waste as a source of raw materials
Resources are becoming increasingly scarce, and at the same time millions of tons of construction waste end up in landfills. One possible solution: circular construction. ZDF has dedicated a program to this topic and visited the NEST unit "UMAR".
Sprint: A new NEST unit under construction
At NEST the new Sprint unit is currently under construction – an office unit built largely from recycled materials. Sprint aims to set new standards for circular construction. However, the office unit is also a reaction to the current COVID-19 situation, which made it clear that we need to adapt our buidings more flexible and quickly to changing needs.
Acoustics from the 3D printer
In the STEP2 unit's floor slab project, the team developed a novel acoustics solution that will be discreetly integrated into the ribbed filigree slab: A box from the 3D printer. It enables a high acoustics quality of a room despite a sound-reflecting surface and extends the design freedom for the architects.
"Wastewater is a source of nutrients, energy and water"
Circular economy holds great potential when it comes to wastewater. At NEST, Eawag, Keramik Laufen AG and Vuna are working together to further advance this topic by processing urine into a marketable fertilizer.
"At NEST we were able to show that our algorithm can save 25 percent energy"
Empa researchers used NEST as a research platform to test and further develop an innovative, self-learning heating control system. The result: the intelligent control system achieved a higher level of comfort with less energy.
