Wood receives attention

hbs | HolzBaumarktSchweiz | Issue Dec. 04/2024 – The municipality of Ebnat-Kappel has implemented a pioneering construction concept for inpatient care and assisted living on the site of the Wier senior center.

Swiss Forests | Focus on FOREST and WOOD | Issue Dec. 12/24 – The use of wood for the construction of public buildings offers a number of advantages, especially if the client wants to use wood from their own forest.

Tec21 | Schweizerische Bauzeitung |19-20/2024 – Two rows of flats have been built in Winterthur, whose brick façades tell the story of the former industrial site and at the same time perpetuate it.

Zürcher Wald | Focus on the future of timber construction | July 2024 – Large quantities of Swiss timber from the municipal forest on the Plateau de Diesse were actively brought into the project and used by the client through in-house procurement.

Tec21 | Schweizerische Bauzeitung | March 22, 2024 – An interdisciplinary project team led by EM2N Architekten AG, Jäger Baumanagement AG and Timbatec Holzbauingenieure Schweiz AG emerged as the winner of the project competition for the «Portal UZH» at the University of Zurich out of a total of 14 participating teams.

espazium | TRACÉS | Avril 2024 – Are Switzerland's ambitious goals of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 realistic? More and more innovative proposals are emerging to answer this question. Some of them use wood for the foundations of basements.

Faktor Raum | Magazin zur Renggli-Baukultur | July 2024 – The collaboration with the overall provider Rhomberg, Timbatec Holzbauingenieure Schweiz AG and Timber Structures 3.0 is the basis for the success of this project. www.zelguster.ch

hbs | holzBaumarktschweiz 02/2024 | Timber construction – Educational buildings made of wood. Swiss timber from the municipal forest on the Plateau de Diesse was actively brought into the project and used by the client through in-house procurement. (Report in german)

Holzbauer spezial, issue 6/2024 – Vision of a city made of wood. Stefan Zöllig explains his commitment to the development of new processing and joining techniques. Building preferably only with wood. (Report in german)

MODULØR, Issue 3/2024 – Educational buildings made of wood. The new building project on the Plateau de Diesse impressively demonstrates the efficiency of wood when used in school construction and underlines the numerous resulting advantages. (Report in german)

Schweizer Holzrevue, Issue 4/5 2024 – Thun in the canton of Bern is home to the first apartment building in Switzerland to have a basement made entirely of wood. This revolutionary building was also deliberately built without a heating system. An inspection. (Report in german)

FIRST, Issue 2/2024 – Insights in an interview with Andreas Burgherr about the founding of the Employers' Association of Swiss Timber Construction Engineers STE-AoC. (Report in german)

Zuschnitt 92, March 2024 – Wood is the right choice of building material for wildlife bridges. Today, the wooden bridge over the A1 highway between Suhr and Hunzenschwil is impressive. (Report in german)

TEC21, 03/2024 - The total revision of the Federal Law on Public Procurement, focused on strengthening quality competition and sustainability goals. A brief outline and status quo with statements on an important law for the planning industry. (Report in german)

Weissmagazin, 01/2023 – «Wood supports me - economically, emotionally and also spiritually». Engaging with wood as a material out of deepest conviction. Heart, brain, wood - a story full of passion. (Report in german)

FIRST, Issue No. 4/2023, Building and living with wood – In Zollikerberg, two multi-family houses have been built in timber construction which, thanks to the use of TS3 technology, could be realized as an interesting and economical solution - in particular due to considerably shorter construction times. Wide-span floor slabs span unusually large areas. High-tech timber construction with innovative TS3 technology. (Report in german)

CRB Bulletin, Issue 4/23 – Stefan Zöllig is the main author of the new NPK 335 Timber Construction. In this interview, he talks about the advantages of timber constructions, the Swiss forest as a building material factory and the advantages of the new NPK Holzbau. (Report in German and French)

Der Bund, Issue 23.11.2023 – In a few years' time, futuristically stacked residential and spatial concepts will create an urban lifestyle in Bern's Wankdorfcity 3. For this pioneering development, which will set an exclamation mark in Bern's urban development, the teams from Timbatec Holzbauingenieure Schweiz AG are contributing their expertise and specialist know-how to the extensive timber construction planning, with a focus on construction areas 3 and 4. (Report in german)

Unter-Emmentaler, issue 13.10.2023 – After 2 years of construction, the new competence center for the elderly of Haslibrunnen AG in Langenthal was ready for occupancy. Timbatec AG was responsible for the exterior wall elements of the hybrid building, including the planning of the timber façade. We also supported the project as fire protection specialists for the facade construction. (Report in german)

Baukader, Issue No. 09/2023 – The A3 highway in the north of the canton of Glarus has cut through the Biberlikopf wildlife corridor for decades. This is now to change. The wildlife overpass will restore the animals' natural migration routes. Planning for this is in full swing. (Report in german)

Le Courrier, 09/2023 –The municipalities of Diesse, Lamboing and Prêles merged in 2014 to form a new entity, the Commune mixte de Plateau de Diesse. The new school of Joncs is the first public building of this size built by the new commune. It sees it as a sign of confidence in the future. Because a school is much more than just a building. It is a symbol of growth, development and commitment to education and future generations. (Report in french)

Baukader, Issue No. 09/2023 – In large timber construction projects, builders often concrete staircases when not much is visible on the construction site except the basement. Carpenters assemble the prefabricated timber components to them. Timbatec has reversed this sequence, with success.(Report in German, French and Italian)

Architecture & Technology, 23 August – A sustainable building is characterised by high ecological and economic quality. Merkli Degen Architekten GmbH therefore placed great emphasis on these aspects during the planning and construction of the two apartment buildings in Zollikerberg.

Fokus Bau & Immobilien, Issue June 23 – Modern timber construction is conquering the building world. All over the world, investors are planning high-rise buildings that will reach heights of over 100 meters. Residential buildings with 300 units are already a reality in Switzerland. The high flight of timber construction is probably far from over. (Report in german)

MODULØR, Issue No. 3/2023 – The motion "Research and innovation of wood as a material for use in infrastructure construction as a decarbonization contribution" was accepted in the Council of States and the National Council. Now it is up to the wood industry and the researching universities to present solutions as to how steel and concrete can be sensibly and expediently replaced by CO₂-storing materials in the future. One possible area of application is wildlife crossings. (Report in german)

Wood Magazine. Issue No. 04/2023 – An unusual wooden shingle façade for the city center, an innovative builder and a foresighted utilization concept make the new Maihofstrasse building in Lucerne stand out. Erected within four weeks, it once again demonstrates the advantages of timber construction in urban areas. Together with the contemporary energy concept consisting of geothermal probes and a PV system, it demonstrates how buildings are constructed today. (Report in german)

Holzmagazin, Issue No. 04/2023 – The wood cellar as a living space. What seemed unthinkable for a long time is now reality. Modern construction technology makes basements made of wood possible. Does the future belong to them?

Hochparterre online, 12.06.2023 – The «TS3» building system enables timber constructions without beams and load-bearing interior walls. At the brownbag lunch at the Baumuster-Centrale Zurich, developers and architects showed what is possible with it. (Report in german)

Bau, Perspektiven 2022 – Already as a draftswoman, Selina Regamey (25) gained insight into the planning and construction of wooden buildings. She is expanding this knowledge in her studies in Biel. She appreciates the good team spirit among the students and knows who she can turn to if she has any problems. (Report in german)

Bridge construction special, Issue No. 03/2023 – With the construction of roads, railways, infrastructure facilities, settlements, and industrial and commercial areas, wildlife connectivity is restricted. Wildlife habitats are geographically delineated with impassable barriers, suppressing their natural urge to move. Wildlife crossings provide a remedy. (Report in german)

Traces, April 2023 – While wood is becoming a predominant building material, the resource, which is available in large quantities, is still underutilized. To diversify the use of wood, the company Fagus Switzerland offers an innovative product: a glulam made of beech wood. This offers new possibilities to build with local wood. A good example is the extension of the cantonal court de l'hermitage in Lausanne (report in French).

Immobilien im BlickPunkt, Issue No. 01/2023 – Wooden buildings have a good learning climate, are more climate-friendly than comparable projects made of steel and concrete, and are even faster to build. That is why building owners often opt for wood. If the wood comes from Switzerland, this has a particularly positive effect on the climate balance.

Immobilien im BlickPunkt, Issue No. 01/2023 – In the heart of Bern, the buildings at Bärenplatz 9, 11 and 27 were upgraded through a total refurbishment. All renovation work was implemented in close cooperation with the preservation of historic monuments. Now the properties offer space for an extensive range of restaurants, offices and rental apartments.

Wohnen, Issue No.09/2022 –The new Generation House Langnau stands for environmentally conscious generation living in the countryside. After a long planning period, it was ready for occupation in the summer. The three-story wooden building of the Langnau im Emmental residential cooperative comprises twenty apartments with flexible floor plans. Heating is provided by the sun and wood.

Holz-Zentralblatt, Issue No. 05/2023 – On the last day of the 26th «International Timber Construction Forum - IHF» in Innsbruck from November 30 to December 2, 2022, the event block «Exposed Engineering Structures» offered a project selection of bridge and tower structures as well as insights into the planning and construction of the free-form roofing for the World Cup luge track in Oberhof. The subject area not only showed a great variety of forms in this special discipline, but also how it was possible to plan the structures economically, sometimes finding novel solutions.

N+ Journal de Neuchâtel, Issue No. 04/2023 – In Valangin, the small bridge over the Seyon is to be rebuilt. The special feature of this project is that the new bridge will not be made of concrete, but of wood from the forests of Neuchâtel. The construction work will last from mid-February to mid-May. (Report in French)

Holzbau austria, Issue No. 04/2022 –The landmark of the new Tech Cluster in Zug is as good as completed. Named after the legendary «Hanging Gardens of Babylon» - or «Semiramis» - five geometrically complex wooden shells rise up to 22.5 m high above the site. The sculpture was produced with the aid of state-of-the-art design and manufacturing processes and will subsequently be planted in accordance with the historical model.

Holzbau austria, 2022 – Researchers at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) are working together with partners from industry to find out how a heavy-duty bridge in wood can be implemented in concrete terms. The feasibility study will run until summer 2023, and a working model already exists.

Schreiner Zeitung, Issue No. 10/2023 – The forest of the future also includes efficient wood products. For example Scrimber, which is currently being developed in Switzerland and for which it received the main prize of the innovation competition from the Canton of Bern.

Lignum Holzbulletin, Issue No. 145/2022, Bauen im Bestand – On the industrial site of the former Deisswil cardboard factory, a new place to live and work has been created in the form of Bernapark. In addition to the renovation of the listed buildings, the two-story addition in wood is a central element of the project. Here, 87 new floor and maisonette apartments have found space - with outdoor spaces that almost seem as if one were at first floor level. (Report in German and French)

Chantier Magazine, Issue No. 10/2022 – Currently under construction, the site of the new school in Marly in the canton of Fribourg relies on the latest digital technologies to control quality and collect the necessary documentation to meet the high requirements of sustainable development and ecology. (Report in French)

Thuner Tagblatt, edition 27.12.2022 – The company «Scrimber» uses 90 percent of a tree as high-quality construction timber instead of the usual 30 percent. With this, it has won a Bernese innovation prize. «Use wood, protect the climate»; this is how the credo of Scrimber CSC AG, based in Thun, could be summed up.

BWSO, December 2022 – Wood construction is a megatrend. More and more public and private developers are turning to wood as a building material because of its many advantages. Our vision is to build entire cities out of wood. Is that possible? And do we have enough wood to do it?

Berner Oberländer, issue 27.12.2022 – The company «Scrimber» uses 90 percent of a tree as high-quality construction timber instead of the usual 30 percent. With this, it has won a Bernese innovation prize. «Use wood, protect the climate»; this is how the credo of Scrimber CSC AG, based in Thun, could be summed up.

26th International Timber Construction Forum IHF 2022 – The construction of roads, railways, infrastructure, housing estates, industrial and commercial areas In heavily built-up Switzerland, wildlife connectivity is limited by the construction of roads, railways, infrastructures, settlements and industrial and commercial areas. Wildlife habitats are geographically demarcated with insurmountable barriers, suppressing the animals' natural urge to move. Wildlife bridges connect the animals' reservoirs.

MODULØR, Issue No. 6/2022 – The centerpiece of the emerging tech cluster in Zug is a 22.5-meter-high wooden architectural structure whose name - Semiramis - is inspired by hanging gardens and exclusive interaction with nature.

Inline, Issue No. 4/2022 – People in wood professions have one thing in common: a passion for «their» raw material. This is also true of Lisa Paradis, even though the timber construction engineer does not work directly with wood in her job. Her job is rather to put her finger on sore spots in the company. She has a keen eye for this.

Baukader, Issue No. 11/2022 – Wood construction is booming. Based on an innovative chipping technology, a new building product is to be developed. With «Scrimber», it should be possible to install almost the entire wood volume of a tree in the long term. (Report in German, French and Italian)

Immobilien Innovation, Issue No. 10/2022 – A very special high-rise has been built on the Tech Cluster site in Zug: The Semiramis plant tower was designed with the help of a machine learning algorithm and realized with an innovative timber construction technology.

UND Generationentandem, Issue No. 43/2022 – Wood should not be a fuel, because it is probably the most sustainable renewable building material there is. This is what Stefan Zöllig and Regula A. Bircher believe. In this interview, they talk about their convictions and present their "house without heating.

Espazium, City of Wood, Issue No. 8/2022 – Two of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - the context in which our next issues of «City of Wood» will be published - concern health and education.

Holzbauer spezial, Issue No. 2/2022 – Within a research project, scientists and engineers are looking for new ways to develop structural timber and cross laminated timber for large volumes from by-products.

Lignum Holzbulletin 144/2022, Engineering structures –The wildlife overpass near Suhr is the first large timber structure to cross a highway in Switzerland. The arched structure, which connects the forest on both sides of the highway for wildlife, is visible to all motorists. The chosen solution shows that the renewable raw material is also interesting for infrastructure construction. (Report in German and French)

Berner Zeitung, October 25, 2022 – Energy prices are rising massively, gas and electricity could become scarce. A visit to Bernese men and women who are striving for more independence in the crisis. Stefan Zöllig is among them with his apartment building without any heating at all.

Handelszeitung, Issue No. 42/2022 – If you want to invest sensibly and with impact, you can rely on timber investment. Erich Reichmuth and Stefan Zöllig on the advantages of investments in timber construction.

Wohnen Schweiz, Issue No. 3/2022 – Wanting community! This is the basic requirement for residents in the Generationenhaus Langnau BE. The demand is there, the new form of living is well received. (Report in german)

Wir Holzbauer, Issue No. 6/2022 – Artificial intelligence and four robots were the master builders of the 22.5-meter-high structure that has marked the entrance to the Tech Cluster Zug site since July 6. The planted architectural sculpture consists of five geometrically complex wooden shells supported by eight slender steel columns. (Report in german)

Hochparterre, Issue No. 9/2022 – A 25-meter-high tree sculpture has stood on the Tech Cluster in Zug since the beginning of July. It bears the name of Queen Semiramis, who is said to have created the ancient world wonder of the hanging gardens. (Report in German)

VSS, Special Edition Wooden Bridges, Issue No. 7-8/2022 – Wood as a material and its wide range of products and technologies can be used not only for bridges for low-speed traffic, but also offer the potential for heavy-load traffic. Newly, long-span wooden bridges with a box girder cross-section and prestressing are to be used for heavy goods traffic. For a climate-neutral Switzerland 2050, answers from research and development are needed to show the construction industry new, efficient and climate-neutral solutions. (Report in German and French)

VSS, Special Edition Wooden Bridges, Issue No. 7-8/2022 – The motion «Research and innovation of wood as a material for use in infrastructure construction as a decarbonization contribution» was accepted in the Council of States and the National Council. Now it is up to the wood industry and the researching universities to present solutions on how steel and concrete can be replaced by OC₂-storing materials in a sensible and practical way in the future. One possible area of application is wildlife overpasses. Even before the motion was submitted, the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) had decided to build such structures in wood in Suhr and Neuenkirch. (Report in German and French)

die baustellen, Issue No. 10/2021 – Wood as a building and construction material offers technical, ecological and economic advantages. In order to use these advantages in an ideal way, specific knowledge is required, also from architects and engineers. For these professionals, the Bern University of Applied Sciences offers the CAS Building with Wood. (Report in German)

Holzbauaustria, Issue No. 2/2021 – Tyrol's largest all-wood residential building has been erected in Kufstein, directly on the Weißache River. The five-story building is classified in building class 5 and was built entirely in wood from the underground garage ceiling upwards, including the stairwell and elevator shaft - prefabricated concrete parts were used only for the flights of stairs. (Report in German)

Konstruktiver Ingenieurbau, Issue No. 04/2022 – Where locomotives and machines used to be built in Winterthur, a new district is being created: Lokstadt. The first building is called «Crocodile» and is one of the largest wooden buildings in Switzerland. The timber frame building was planned with BIM from the very beginning. But that's not the only thing that makes the mega residential building a pilot project. (Report in German)

hbs holzBaumarktSchweiz, Issue No. 4/2022 – Will we build large infrastructure structures such as highway bridges from wood in the future? Through the increased use of wood, infrastructure construction could contribute to decarbonization. Heavy-duty bridges with prestressed box girder elements would make large structures such as highway bridges and viaducts possible. A working model of this has been on display in Biel since May 9. (Report in German)

Holz-Zentralblatt, Issue No. 26/2022 – Infrastructure construction is one of the largest Co₂ emitters in Switzerland. The main cause is the use of reinforced concrete. Through the increased use of wood, infrastructure construction could contribute to decarbonization. Heavy-duty bridges with prestressed wooden box girder elements could also enable large structures such as highway bridges and viaducts. (Report in German)

11th International Wood Construction Forum FBC 2022 – After almost fifty years of service, the old Ajoie indoor ice rink needed major maintenance and renovation work. The evolution of the requirements of the Swiss ice hockey league and the need to bring the building into conformity with the new safety standards for spectators made a complete renovation of the Porrentruy site essential. (Report in French by Johann Maître, Timbatec Timber Construction Engineers Switzerland AG, Delémont)

Wir Holzbauer, Issue No. 5/2022 – The beam ceiling is becoming flat: Researchers and engineers have found a solution for optimally replacing the concrete ceiling with wood. The first residential buildings have thus been realized and those involved are enthusiastic. (Report in German)

Wir Holzbauer, Issue 5.2022 – For timber engineer Stefan Zöllig, timber construction should continue to gain momentum - carried by research projects such as the heavy load bridge made of wood. His latest project was presented and inaugurated in early May at the fourth International Timber Bridge Conference ICTB on the campus of BFH Biel with a first bridge model. (Report in German)

The Environment, Issue No. 2/2022 – When it comes to climate change, we rightly discuss primarily the limitation and reduction of CO₂ emissions from the burning of fossil resources. But that will not be enough to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement: Not only will we have to emit less CO₂, but we will also have to actively and permanently remove it from the atmosphere - with technical measures. This is precisely what negative emission technologies (NET) are all about, and this issue of "die umwelt" is dedicated to them. (Report in German and French)

Schweizer BauJournal, June 2022 – Many SMEs lack the time, money and human resources to invest in research and development. The following article shows how companies can benefit from collaboration with universities. (Report in German)

Spirit Biel/Bienne 06.2022 – 25 years ago, Stefan Zöllig founded Timbatec in Steffisburg as a sole proprietorship. In the 25 years of operation, Timbatec has grown into a successful timber construction engineering firm. Since then, the company has completed over 3000 timber construction projects and recently founded new start-ups. (Report in German)

Semiramis News by TCZ, 1/2022 – A very special work of art is being built on the corner of Ahornstrasse and Industriestrasse in Zug. In reference to the famous hanging gardens in ancient Babylon, the elegant construction is called Semiramis. In five freely shaped and ingeniously arranged wooden bowls, grasses, flowers, perennials, shrubs and even trees will grow. The artwork of high-tech and nature will mark the center of the new Tech Cluster quarter. (Report in German)

Holzbauer spezial, Issue No. 1.2022 – It is time for wood to highlight its rationally assessable facts: Wood can replace concrete, brick and steel and shows good fire behavior. In addition, wood also offers endless architectural possibilities: with a wood look or any facade cladding. However, the change of material in the construction upends the usual building processes. (Report in German)

Bieler Tagblatt, Issue No. 10.05.2022 – Timber construction: Can bridges for heavy traffic also be built from wood? This question is being investigated by a research consortium at Bern University of Applied Science. A ten-meter-long working model was presented yesterday in Biel. (Report in German)

Immobilia, Issue No. 04/2022 – Andreas Burgherr, CEO of Timbatec Holzbauingenieure AG, explains why wood is increasingly being used in building construction. (Report in German)

TEC21, Issue No. 12/2022 – Where a shingle house for a family stood in Zurich Unterstrass, a multigenerational house in wood hybrid construction with eight apartments has recently been built. In a limited space - but with affordable rents - the private developer and the residents found an alternative to conventional financing, construction and housing models. (Report in German)

MODULØR, Issue No. 2/2022 – In the Zurich Oberland, the new headquarters of the Swiss electrical company Hustech Installations AG stands out from the broad mass of the industrial area - striking and representative at the same time. This is because, in keeping with the company's innovative philosophy, Rüegg Architekten, together with BGS + Partner Architekten, both from Rapperswil, have implemented a new building that, above all, draws attention to itself from afar in terms of design. Accordingly, in addition to the self-confident design, the new company headquarters including workshop embodies in particular the forward-looking and sustainable spirit of the client as well as their striving for a pleasant working environment. (Report in German)

Hochparterre, Issue No. 3/22 – In Thun, a house stands as a manifesto. It was built by the timber engineer Stefan Zöllig, who is redefining the possibilities of timber construction. One would not expect such an experiment in a prime location in the villa district above the old town. (Report in German)

Bärnerbär, issue 15.03.2022 – Stefan Zöllig still sees a lot of potential for new business models with wood. Can we obtain building material from 100% of the tree? (Report in German)

Immobilien Business, Issue No. 03/2022 – Timber construction: A new technology solves many of the problems previously associated with timber construction - opening up entirely new applications for wood as a building material. For example, in buildings with flexible uses. (Report in German)