July 15, 2025 – According to federal figures we will need additional living space for around one million people in Switzerland over the next 20 years. In order to achieve this while making efficient use of our limited resources, building density has been increasing for some time now - not only in urban centers, but also in agglomerations. In rural areas in particular, natural habitats that protect and promote biodiversity are getting under increasing pressure as a result.

To counteract this development, Johanna Lorch, an architecture student at ETH, promotes an innovative concept in her master's thesis that is simultaneously increasing living space in rural settlement areas as well as preserving biodiverse habitats. Her vision of “Soiled Houses” starts with existing single-family homes: Through targeted upgrading of the façade and the interior, these could provide housing for more people and provide fertile soil for local flora and fauna at the same time.

Find the documentation to Johanna Lorch's Master Thesis “Soiled Houses” here.

May 22, 2025 – "An innovation must achieve commercial success. That's why you actually have to think about it backwards, i.e. from the customer's perspective," says Lino Guzzella. He himself has worked in research for decades, contributed to innovations in the field of engines and, thus, has internalized the perspective of both science and industry. As a lecturer and, later on, President of the ETH, he has supervised countless projects and knows that the path from an idea to a successful innovation is a long and harsh one.

In conversation with Peter Richner, he talks about success, failures, the fundamental differences between research and business and the importance of innovations when it comes to challenges that encompass society as a whole – as, for example, with finding a storage facility for radioactive waste material.

April 8, 2025 – From the NEST unit straight to the market: with its innovative floor slab, Stahlton Bauteile AG has skipped several stages during the innovation process, compared to other products. In cooperation with ROK Architekten and Walt Galmarini, not only did they develop a new concept and design as part of the NEST project, but Stahlton also implemented a new manufacturing process in-house, while simultaneously finishing the product altogether.

Talking to Peter Richner, Samuel Suter, CTO of Stahlton Bauteile AG, describes how he experienced this intense product development phase, the potential he sees in this new manufacturing process and to what extent the project-based collaboration at NEST has also created valuable contacts in the longer term.

November 19, 2024 – In this special episode, we take a look at the NEST unit Beyond Zero, which is being developed together with Implenia. As a whole, it prepares for nothing less than a paradigm shift: from a CO₂-emitting to a CO₂-binding society. With the Mining the Atmosphere research initiative, Empa wants to show how buildings can act as carbon sinks. The focus is on innovative building materials that bind CO₂ and the challenges that we still need to overcome in order to introduce this technology on a large scale.

What potential do these innovations offer for the construction industry? And how does the cooperation between research and practice affect its implementation? Together with Corinne Reimann from Implenia and Mateusz Wyrzykowski from Empa, Peter Richner tries to answer these questions using the case of Beyond Zero.

September 10, 2024 – NEST opened in 2016 as a research and innovation platform by Empa and Eawag with the aim of promoting sustainable innovations in the construction sector. But how well does it work and are there alternatives to the NEST approach? Around four years ago, Kim Förster, lecturer in architectural sciences at the University of Manchester, wanted to see for himself and paid a visit. As a result, he wrote “A gray castle”, a multi-layered and critical essay on NEST, reflecting on the idea and network of NEST not only from an architectural history perspective, but also from a social science perspective.

In the current episode, Peter Richner discusses some aspects of this essay with Kim Förster: why industry partners are essential for NEST, how the research focus has changed over time and what innovations are being sought in the future.

July 02, 2024 – With the acceptance of the Federal Act on a Secure Electricity Supply on June 9, it is clear that Switzerland wants to push ahead with the systematic expansion of renewable energies. However, a well-structured plan is essential to ensure a resilient, sustainable, and affordable energy system for the future. How much energy do we need to cover through domestic production? To what extent is it worth resorting to cer-tain imports? What incentives can be set to reduce peak loads?
Matthias Sulzer, Senior Researcher in the Urban Energy Systems lab at Empa, has been working on energy planning and scientific scenarios for many years. In an interview with Peter Richner he explains the significance of the new Federal Act as a foundation for Switzerland's future energy planning and outlines further steps required to ensure that the energy turnaround does not backfire.

April 30, 2024 – Buildings as carbon sinks: not only Empa is dedicated to this idea with its latest research initiative "Mining the Atmosphere", there are also pioneers on the market who want to realize the CO₂-neutral building. One of them is Andy Keel, the founder of OPENLY. He has developed a so-called bionic construction system and is currently building a pilot project in Widnau – an apartment building that produces net-zero emissions. With Peter Richner, Andy Keel talks about how surprisingly uninterested his buyers are in the fact that their future home was built in a CO₂-neutral way, how he is co-financing his construction with CO₂ certificates and what the floppy disk has to do with carbon capture.

 

March 25, 2024 – The construction sector has a particularly heavy responsibility on the road to a carbon-neutral society. To date, it produces around two thirds of all waste in Switzerland and around one third of all CO₂ emissions. While there are already many technical options for reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption in the operation of buildings, relatively little potential is being utilized in their construction. One key element for building in a more environmentally friendly manner, of course, are the materials and components used. Ecobau has therefore set itself the goal of promoting both awareness of and demand for sustainable materials. To this end, it offers comprehensive information on topics such as eco-balance, sustainability and the recyclability of various materials. In her discussion with Peter Richner, Marianne Stähler, Managing Director of Ecobau, explains how the association came about, what challenges exist in connection with sustainable materials and certificates and what support Ecobau can offer for specific construction projects.

February 21, 2024 – In order to achieve the climate targets set by the Federal Council by 2050, solutions that can be implemented on a large scale as quickly as possible are needed to significantly reduce our society's CO₂ emissions. The building sector in particular offers great leverage here, as it is responsible for around 40% of energy consumption throughout Switzerland. The start-up viboo, which grew out of a research project at Empa, has developed a promising approach for this area: With their self-learning predictive algorithm, they manage to reduce the energy required to heat and cool buildings by around a third on average. Peter Richner talks to co-founder and CEO Felix Bünning about how this works, the extent to which NEST has been elementary in his research and whether they can actually significantly reduce our energy consumption in the near future.

 

January 23, 2024 – If Switzerland is to achieve its climate targets by 2050, effective and scalable climate-neutral solutions must soon be introduced in the construction, energy and mobility sectors. There is still disagreement about the extent to which such technologies should be promoted or CO2-emitting fossil fuels should be taxed or banned. However, it has been clear for a long time that little will change without political guidelines and that transformation processes towards sustainable raw materials take a very long time. Reto Knutti, Professor of Climate Physics at ETH Zurich, has therefore been campaigning for some time to ensure that the issue of climate protection is heard in political discourse and that the relevant decision-makers receive the information available from research. This is also where he sees the role of scientifc research. In the interview with Peter Richner, he explains what fascinates him about climate research, why the discourse about it sometimes irritates him and what factors keep him motivated and engaged, despite some criticism.

 

December 07, 2023 – Cities should become more resilient, more compact and more climate-friendly, while at the same time offering affordable, attractive living space. In order to be able to meet all of these requirements, a great deal of foresight and dialog skills are needed in urban development. In this episode, Peter Richner talks with Peter Schwehr about the perfect city. Schwehr is Professor of Technology and Architecture at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He also heads the Competence Center Typology and Planning in Architecture, which sees itself as a think tank for architecture and urban development. Among other things, the two talk about the importance of neighborhoods and community, how we can build densely without creating soulless districts, the added value of sufficiency – and why architecture should not have creative freedom, but rather creative responsibility.

 

November 02, 2023 – This podcast episode is dedicated to the actual core topic of NEST: fostering innovation in the construction industry. Peter Richner takes a look outside the box, to Germany and its major innovation program "Zukunft Bau". His guest is Helga Kühnhenrich, head of the division "Construction Research and Innovation" at the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development. Together with her team, the architect is responsible for the research funding programs of "Zukunft Bau". She talks to Peter Richner about the recipes to make innovative research projects take off, the cultural change in the construction industry that is necessary to achieve this, and the pioneering role that partners from industry play in the innovation process.

 

As we're approaching winter once again, it raises the question of what about this year's winter power supply in Switzerland. The current episode explores the lessons we have learned from last year's shortage. Our guest is Michael Frank, who has been the director of the Association of Swiss Electricity Companies VSE for a long time. In the conversation, the two shed light on the influenceable and non-influenceable factors that helped us through the winter, the traces that the energy crisis has left on population's awareness - and why the anticipated boost in renewable energy expansion has not come to fruition despite the crisis.

Security of supply in Switzerland has attracted great attention from the society – especially since the last winter. At the same time, the aim is to further reduce emissions from the energy supply towards net zero. In this episode, Peter Richner looks at the gas industry, which is particularly challenged in this context. His guest is Daniela Decurtins, Director of the Swiss Gas Industry Association. The two talk about energy as the backbone of a national economy, about the necessary cooperation between Switzerland and its neighboring countries, why there is an urgent need for clearer legal guidelines for the gas market - and how the gas industry has experienced a revolution in recent years.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can translate text, write code, and create images. But what does this mean for the construction industry? Peter Richner talks about this in the 34^th episode of the NEST Podcast. His guest is Markus Koschenz, lecturer at the Institute for Building Technology and Energy at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, and previously a long-standing member of the management board of Implenia. Together, they discuss the collaboration between humans and machines. They talk about the modest data base in the construction sector, the important ability to ask the right questions – and what the construction industry can learn from the gaming world.

In the 33^rd episode, Peter Richner looks at one of the largest building owners in Switzerland and thus a central contributor to shaping our built environment: the SBB. The real estate department of the Swiss Federal Railways wants to turn areas near railroad stations into lively neighborhoods. His guest is Susanne Zenker, member of the Management Board and Head of Development at SBB Immobilien. In their conversation, the two shed light on what determines a high "Baukultur", how SBB designs its sites to make them places where people feel comfortable, why sustainable building must always take the social dimension into account – and why people in the countryside can look forward to nicer commuter routes in the future. 

April 27, 2023 – The 32^nd episode of the NEST Podcast takes Peter Richner across the country's borders to Austria. His guest is Hans-Peter Weiss, CEO of the Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft BIG. BIG is owned by the Republic of Austria and is one of the country's largest real estate owners – including primarily schools, universities, prisons and, increasingly, office and residential buildings. Hans-Peter Weiss talks to Peter Richner about the pioneering role of large companies, about the long-term economic viability of sus-tainable construction – and about how a cautious approach can lead to a gradual transformation of the construction industry. (Photo: Peter Rigaud)

April 6, 2023 – About half a year ago, Zurich's voters clearly said yes to a new recycling article in the cantonal constitution, which provides for the careful use of resources, materials and goods - especially in the construction sector. The guest on the current episode of the NEST podcast is Martin Neukom, Government Councillor of the Canton of Zurich and Head of the Building Department, who, as a former member of the political party "Young Greens", sowed the seeds for this article. Peter Richner talks to him about why the canton of Zurich is suited to be a pioneer for circular construction, how it wants to implement Re-Use itself, and why this constitutional article will not just remain on paper.

 

February 23, 2023 – In the 30^th episode, Peter Richner explores a niche of the construction industry that navigates far away from the conventional understanding of building: Art in Architecture – or as the guest of this episode likes to call it: Art and Architecture. He is welcoming Friederike Schmid. She is the managing director of Communication by Art GmbH, has been curating and managing art projects in construction with heart and soul for over twenty years, and is currently accompanying one at Empa. In the conversation, the two shed light on how this type of art differs from architectural and engineering art, in what form it addresses sustainability, and why art must take on the role of a court jester.

January 26, 2023 – In the 29^th episode, Peter Richner focuses on a profession that largely operates in the background: engineers. The guest is Daniel Löhr, who has been putting his heart and soul into making engineers more visible for many years. Daniel Löhr is a management consultant and the initiator of the Engineers' Day. In their conversation, the two shed light on the great work that engineers do for our daily lives, why this professional group is so invisible despite these achievements, and how Daniel Löhr is trying to use the color blue to put the engineering profession in the spotlight.

January 6, 2023 – It often takes a long time for new materials to find their way into construction practice. Someone who knows this particularly well is Prof. Urs Meier, long-time director of Empa at the Dübendorf site and a world-renowned pioneer in the use of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers in construction. In this special episode on the occasion of his 80th birthday, Peter Richner talks to him on how he came up with the idea of developing this innovative material 40 years ago and what hurdles and challenges had to be overcome before it was used in the first pilot projects. The two also talk about the enormous opportunities that carbon fiber-reinforced polymers offer for the construction sector and how we can use air to build bridges in the future.

December 08, 2022 – Planners claim to design buildings in a user-oriented way, but the reality often looks different from a social science perspective – because the social context is often missing. Guest of the 27th episode of the NEST podcast is the sociologist and planner Joëlle Zimmerli. In 2011, she founded the planning and development office Zimraum, which identifies the requirements and demands that different users set for the development of areas, cities and regions. Peter Richner talks with her about the reasons why the term "use-neutral buildings" should be removed from the vocabulary, how well functioning neighborhoods can be fostered early on – and what role a Porsche for free can play in the in the sociological mix.

November 17, 2022 – The 26th episode of the NEST Podcast focuses on a question that concerns a large part of the population at the beginning of winter 2022: How will Switzerland ensure that it has enough electricity to last through the cold season? Peter Richner seeks the answer to this question together with Lukas Küng. He is the managing director of Primeo Netz AG and head of the Organization for Electricity Supply in Extraordinary Situations, or OSTRAL for short. OSTRAL was commissioned by the federal government to implement countermeasures in the event of a prolonged power shortage. In this talk, the two discuss what a power shortage is, why the risk of such a situation in the winter of 2022/2023 is so high, what measures OSTRAL has developed to counteract it - and what the energy system must look like so that Switzerland can better overcome such crises in the future.

October 27, 2022 – In September 2022, the people of the Canton of Zurich voted in favor of the circular initiative, sending a clear signal that we can only achieve a sustainable future if we think and act in cycles. However, what does circular construction actually mean? What are the hurdles that still exist when it comes to this topic? Peter Richner explores these and other questions together with Marloes Fischer in the 25th episode of the NEST Podcast. Marloes has been running the material cadaster platform Madaster for over four years. In the conversation, Peter Richner and her shed light on how the circular economy in Switzerland has left its niche in recent years, how Madaster makes the value of materials more transparent and what important role the public sector must necessarily play in this topic. They also address the question of why the basis for circular construction lies in the digital world.

September 29, 2022 – Rarely has building technology gained so much attention as in the current debate about the energy crisis. Bouygues Energies & Services is one of Switzerland's largest providers in the energy and services sector and experiences this change firsthand. In addition to energy-saving measures, Bouygues has also given a boost to the saving of resources in building technology - with the help of re-use. The guest of the 24th episode of the NEST podcast is Fritz Mühlethaler, Head of Services Building Technology Switzerland. Peter Richner talks to him about how skepticism about re-use at Bouygues turned into a sense of purpose, what positive side-effects the energy crisis brings with it and why it would be better for everyone if the building technicians were brought on board right at the start of the planning process.

 

August 25, 2022 – Post Immobilien, a group company of Swiss Post, is one of the largest real estate owners in Switzerland and manages a portfolio worth 4 billion Swiss francs. As such, it holds a tremendously important position in the overall Post Group, not only in terms of maintaining Swiss Post's service, but also in achieving the climate goals the company has set for itself. The guest of the 23rd episode of the NEST podcast is Nadia von Veltheim, CEO at Post Immobilien. Peter Richner talks to her about the company's sustainability strategies with which they keep their buildings up to date, how Swiss Post connects its buildings with its transport operations – and how they are preparing for the challenges of the upcoming winter.  

 

June 21, 2022 – Almost half a million skilled workers are employed in the Swiss construction industry. Bauenschweiz, the umbrella organization of the Swiss construction industry, pools their interests and represents them vis-à-vis politicians and society. Since 2016, the president of Bauenschweiz has been Hans Wicki, a member of the Council of States for the canton of Nidwalden and former head of the building department and member of the cantonal government. In the 22nd episode of the NEST podcast, Peter Richner talks to Hans Wicki about our dependence on energy from abroad, about building permit procedures that don't want to end, about bans and democratic participation – and about the inhibitions to reach for one's own wallet when it comes to sustainable solutions.

 

October 29, 2021 –  In innovative building projects, the role of architects is central and enormously challenging - because they are the ones who pull all the strings. In the fifteenth episode of the NEST Podcast, Peter Richner talks to someone who knows this role inside out: Silvan Oesterle. He is co-founder of the architecture firm ROK, works as a lecturer at the Accademia di architettura di Mendrisio, and is the lead architect in the latest NEST unit STEP2 - which focuses on the marketability of innovations.
In their conversation, the two shed light on how architects can successfully integrate innovations into building projects, why they should no longer see themselves only as software users but also as software developers, and why architecture is "people business".

 

 

September 22, 2021 – In February 2021, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, together with Empa, organized a design competition. The aim was to create PV modules as design objects. The designs were presented to the public and a jury. The winning project, named "Glasklar", now adorns the façade above the main entrance of the NEST building. In the latest episode of the NEST Podcast, Peter Richner talks to the textile design student whose design convinced the jury: Lynn Balli. In the conversation, the two shed light on how design can make renewable energies more attractive and promote them. In addition, Lynn Balli talks about the challenges she encountered in designing the material, which was rather unusual for her, and how she managed to breathe life into glass.

 

 

July 29, 2021 – It is well known that the construction sector contributes a large share to global greenhouse gas emissions. In most cases, only the emissions caused by the operation of buildings are considered. However, if we want to achieve our CO₂ reduction goals, we have to take into account the entire life cycle, from construction and operation to demolition. In the thirteenth episode of the NEST podcast, Peter Richner talks about this topic with Catherine De Wolf. She has recently been appointed as professor at the ETH Zurich this year and is an expert in circular construction. The conversation also focuses on the crucial factors for implementing the concept of "Re-Use" in the construction sector and on the true price of materials. The talk is held in German at the beginning and then in English.

 

 

June 25, 2021 – According to the Swiss Association of Master Builders, modern construction is the most important lever for climate protection because the Swiss building stock is responsible for 45 percent of energy consumption and 24 percent of CO₂ emissions. The construction industry can therefore make an important contribution to energy efficiency and the reduction of CO₂ emissions. In the twelfth episode of the NEST podcast, Peter Richner talks to Gian-Luca Lardi, President of the Swiss Association of Master Builders, about the CO₂ law that was rejected by the Swiss voters, about why replacement buildings need equal rights to energy-efficient renovations, and what the "zero-risk devil" is all about.

 

 

May 27, 2021 – To keep the construction sector moving forward, the foundation laid by colleges and universities is crucial. They must respond to current trends and anticipate future developments in order to equip graduates with the necessary tools for their future careers. In the eleventh episode of the NEST Podcast, Peter Richner welcomes ETH Rector Sarah Springman. The two talk about the major challenges of the pandemic for universities, the importance of getting students excited about technical courses at an early age - and the surgeons of the underground.

 

 

April 27, 2021 – Calling a spade a spade: That's the first step towards constructive problem solving – even when it comes to the sustainable use of resources and the resulting emissions in construction. In the tenth episode of the NEST podcast, Peter Richner welcomes architect Werner Sobek, a pioneer in sustainable building culture and a man of clear words. Together, the two take a look at the construction industry and beyond, pleading for honesty and transparency in thinking, speaking and acting – and defusing linguistic smoke petards in the process.

 

 

March 25, 2021 – Turn old into new: Not only used materials can be recycled, but resources can also be recovered from wastewater. In the ninth episode of the NEST Podcast, Peter Richner talks with Tove Larsen, environmental engineer and member of Eawag's board of directors, about the impact of innovations in water supply and wastewater management. They speak about what valuable things we flush down the toilet, why problems should be solved directly at the source, and why wastewater does not lie.

 

 

March 1, 2021 – In order to achieve the change towards a climate-friendly society, it is important that research, business and politics work closely together. In the eighth episode of the NEST Podcast, Peter Richner talks to someone who has been working for climate protection and sustainability in all three spheres for years: Bastien Girod. The two talk about the challenges for a researcher in politics, about the opportunities that arise when you master the keyboard of the different spheres – and about the danger that comes from sorcerer's apprentices.

 

 

January 29, 2021 – Reusing building materials and entire building components is one possible approach to circular and resource-efficient construction. The architect Kerstin Müller of Baubüro in situ has been advocating this for years, has implemented several lighthouse projects, and is thus familiar with the challenges of re-use. In the 7th episode of our NEST podcast, Peter Richner talks to Kerstin Müller about the hunt for used materials, restrictive standards and laws – and about a dating platform for building components.

 

 

December 17, 2020 – Christian Buhl is CEO of the Geberit AG. The globally operating Swiss company is the European market leader for sanitary products. As a graduate physicist and economist, Christian Buhl knows both the research and the industry side. He began his career at Geberit AG in 2009, initially responsible for "Strategic Planning". Since 2015, Christian Buhl has been managing the business of the entire Geberit Group as CEO. In the sixth episode of the NEST Podcast, Peter Richner talks to Christian Buhl about the relevance of innovation in the sanitary sector, the gradually increasing importance of "net zero emissions" for investors, developing countries in the sanitary sector - and black swans in the construction industry.

 

November 18, 2020 – Karin Lenzlinger managed the family business Lenzlinger Söhne AG for decades until 2019. Located in the Zurich Oberland region, the SME is active in the finishing trade business. Today, Karin Lenzlinger is president of the Zurich Chamber of Commerce and holds several board of directors and executive board mandates in a wide range of industries. In the fifth episode of the NEST Podcast, Peter Richner talks to Karin Lenzlinger about the tension between tradition and innovation in an SME, about the "protected" construction industry - and about the pricking of growing plants.

 

 

October 06, 2020 – Fabio Gramazio is Professor of Architecture and Digital Fabrication at ETH Zurich and is one of the international pioneers of digital construction. Together with his partner Matthias Kohler, he was responsible for the architectural concept of NEST and was also significantly involved in the realization of DFAB HOUSE. In the fourth episode of the NEST podcast, Peter Richner talks to Fabio Gramazio about the resinous path towards a digital building culture, about the dangers of a revolution and the patience required for evolution – and about the complexity of trees.

 

 

August 20, 2020 – Judit Solt is Editor-in-Chief of TEC21, the leading technical and scientific construction journal in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. As a graduate architect, she also works as a freelance architectural critic, writes articles for newspapers and books and is involved in competition juries and expert commissions. In addition, she is a board member of the "Haus der Farbe" school of design. In the third episode of the NEST Podcast, Peter Richner talks to Judit Solt about the important role of architects in the planning and realisation of buildings, about the difficult relationship of engineers to art - and about criticism of architectural critique.

 

July 16, 2020 – Damian Müller (FDP) has been representing the Canton of Lucerne in the Council of States since 2015 and is a member of the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy Committees ESPEC. In his function, Müller played a key role in the total revision of the CO2 Act. The law has now been discussed by both the Council of States and the National Council and is expected to pass in the autumn session of 2020. In this second episode of the NEST podcast, Peter Richner talks to Damian Müller about the coupling of buildings and mobility for CO2 reduction, about the demands of politics towards research - and about underground cities.

 

June 8, 2020 – Stefan Cadosch is president of the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects SIA and owner of an architectural office. The SIA has over 16'000 members and represents the interests of architects and engineers in politics and society. The SIA is also known for its important body of standards. It develops, maintains and publishes numerous standards, regulations, guidelines, recommendations and documentation that are of vital importance for the Swiss construction industry. In the first episode of NEST Podcasts, Peter Richner talks to Stefan Cadosch about the tension between standardization and innovation, about hypes in architecture – and about expensive violins.