USZ new building project receives pre-certificate for sustainable construction

The Swiss Society for Sustainable Real Estate (SGNI) has awarded the USZ new building project Campus MITTE1|2 with the pre-certificate "Gold Standard" for sustainable building according to "DGNB" (German Sustainable Building Council).

The “Gold Standard” awarded to the USZ certifies that the new building meets comprehensive quality requirements in terms of sustainable construction. The award shows that the USZ plans and realizes the new buildings MITTE1 and MITTE2 in accordance with more than 40 sustainability criteria (cf. Swiss DGNB system of the SGNI). These criteria include, for example, the degree of energy efficiency, the level of_{CO2 emissions}, gray energy, flexibility of use or the recyclability of the materials used. The Swiss Society for Sustainable Real Estate pays special attention to aspects relevant to the well-being of people in healthcare buildings. In general, the life cycle assessment must meet high requirements.

“We are very pleased that we were able to meet the comprehensive quality requirements of the internationally recognized DGNB certificate in the Gold Standard,” says Daniel Bucheli, Head of Overall Renovation at the USZ. Oliver Hagen, overall project manager of the new building project Campus MITTE1|2: “For me, the key point in terms of sustainability is that we have succeeded in designing the new buildings in such a way that they can be flexibly adapted to changing requirements of tomorrow’s medicine.” This is interesting for the USZ not only from an ecological point of view, but also from an economic one. Heinz J. Bernegger, managing director of SGNI, adds, “The project shows that innovative architecture and sustainability need not be contradictory, but on the contrary can complement each other wonderfully.”

Sustainable in several dimensions

The new buildings should contribute to the ecological, economic, social and technical sustainability of the USZ. Recyclable materials such as wood and steel are used in construction. In addition, the USZ has reduced the underground construction volume and thus significantly reduced the consumption of gray energy. Attention was paid to ease of cleaning, maintenance and upkeep of the building. The new building will provide a wide range of recreational and meeting spaces. The new buildings are equipped with different facades. While the façade and roof of MITTE1 is greened, the façade of MITTE2 is equipped with photovoltaic elements. The greenery contributes to the regulation of the urban climate and contributes to the well-being of patients and employees, because it is also visible from the inside.