A new laboratory building for the ZHAW is located on the Reidbach campus in Wädenswil. Here, the entire food value chain is researched under one roof. Construction Director Martin Neukom, Education Director Silvia Steiner as well as ZHAW Rector Jean-Marc Piveteau and Heiner Treichler, CEO of Tuwag Immobilien AG, inaugurated the building.
In the fields of nutrition, health, society and the environment, the ZHAW's Department of Life Sciences and Facility Management is one of Switzerland's leading centers of excellence. This has led to strong growth in student and employee numbers at the Grüental and Reidbach sites in Wädenswil. This development will continue in the coming years.
The new «Elisabeth Weber-Hauser» laboratory building will provide the space needed in the long term. The new building is primarily used by the Institute for Food and Beverage Innovation (ILGI). After moving in, its employees and students are no longer spread across various buildings, but are now united under one roof. In the future, food and beverages can be viewed and processed here comprehensively, from raw materials and processing to quality management and marketing. So it is not only researched and taught, but also produced, analyzed, tasted and packaged.
CO2-neutral heating and cooling
The different uses placed high demands on the construction, for example in the area of hygiene and climatic conditions. We succeeded in realizing a sustainable building that can be flexibly adapted to new circumstances in the future. All energy purchased for heating and cooling is produced in a CO2-neutral manner. The laboratory building is connected to the woodchip district heating system on the site. The new building will be complemented by recreational areas around the Reidbach pond. The campus is also free of individual traffic and connected via the so-called «campus terrace» along the SOB line.
The owner and investor of the basic development is Tuwag Immobilien AG, based in Wädenswil. The canton of Zurich has leased the premises for 20 years. The cantonal council had approved 48.2 million Swiss francs for tenant improvements and equipment. The new building sends a further signal for a strong university and business location in Zurich - also against the background of the shortage of skilled workers.
Successful businesswoman as name giver
The building is named after Elisabeth Weber-Hauser. She achieved extraordinary things as a businesswoman in the brewing industry in the 19th century under difficult circumstances. After the death of her husband in 1885, she took over the management of the brewery in Wädenswil and established herself as the managing director.
You need to load content from reCAPTCHA to submit the form. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More Information