In 2006, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy created the “Watt d'Or” to recognise excellence in the field of energy, and to motivate industry, political stakeholders and the general public to discover the benefits of innovative energy technologies. On Thursday, Professor Dietrich Schwarz and Christoph Ospelt were presented with the Watt d'Or trophy – a snow globe – in front of around 700 representatives of the Swiss energy scene in the Kursaal Bern. The team from Dietrich Schwarz Architekten AG were selected from a total of 71 applicants as winners in the category “Buildings and Space” for their innovative solutions for a new construction and conversion project at Hohlstrasse 100 in Zurich.
Pilot project sets course for future urban development
“The project meets the challenges of modern urban planning, namely insulation, energy efficiency, noise protection and systems optimisation” explained Dietrich Schwarz. To achieve this, the planning team used prefabricated timber elements insulated with the high-performance insulation material Aerogel, which allows the construction of an extremely thin façade and thus a maximisation of the usable area. This pilot project also featured the use of vacuum-insulated glass as standard glazing for the first time in Switzerland.
Recognition for a holistic perspective
Dr Jürgen Brücker, rector of the University of Liechtenstein, is delighted about this recognition by the prominent jury headed by the Council of States, Pascale Bruderer Wyss: “This also acknowledges the great work that has been done in recent years in the areas of spatial development, sustainability and innovation.”
