Timber construction blog

Last year, Implenia built Switzerland's first wood-concrete parking garage in Dübendorf for the Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Research Empa. The project shows that more environmentally friendly construction methods can also be implemented on a large scale.

Anyone who wants to construct buildings in a contemporary way today is best advised to look into the possibility of timber construction. Because building with wood is economical, climate-friendly and conserves valuable resources. The new multi-purpose building (MZG) in Alterswil (FR) is currently being constructed in wood.

In mid-June, all employees of the Specialties - Wood Construction Division met at the Rümlang site for this year's "Wood Construction Safety Day 2022" with a special morning program. The Wood Construction Safety Officer, Silvio Neumann, again organized a safety course for all employees at the Rümlang site. This included a staged live accident and guests such as SUVA, Care Team Thurgau and Werner Witschi, an accident victim who is now in a wheelchair.

Our timber construction assistant Christina Rutzer grabbed a cameraman to find out exactly that. On her tour, she meets foreman Aaron Kreissl as well as managing director Christoph Zimmermann, and gets exciting first-hand insights. Aaron gives us an insight into the Lokstadt milestones to date. Christoph reports on the 100-metre-high wooden skyscraper "Rocket", a unique project.

Here we at Implenia Holzbau were allowed to get really creative: The "Connect" floor of Implenia's headquarters, which has been in place since September 2021, represents a world first and is the result of an intensive planning and testing phase. Our solution combines flexibility, modern aesthetics and sustainability - and also provides us with fascinating new insights for future projects. In this article, you will learn everything about this very special heart project.

Wood is a versatile building material, not least because the different types of wood have different colourings, properties and uses. We have compiled a brief overview of the mainly native tree species for you.

Wood is a versatile building material, not least because the different types of wood have different colourings, properties and uses. We have compiled a brief overview of the mainly native tree species for you.

Implenia has been playing in the top league in timber construction for decades. This benefits not only the clients, but also the employees – for example through exciting projects and state-of-the-art technologies. They can play an active role in shaping what is probably the most innovative sector of the construction industry.

The ceiling can support two axes and span larger distances. In the Pi project, the elements are up to 9 metres long, but the principle is also suitable for more than 15 metres. At the same time, the construction weighs around 30 per cent less than concrete ceilings and is much thinner than conventional composite structures. Among other things, this allows for an additional storey and a massively smaller foundation on the 80-metre high Zug project.

From 2022, Implenia, as timber constructor and general contractor, will be building Switzerland's tallest timber high-rise, at 80 metres, for Urban Assets Zug AG. The ambitious Pi project is first and foremost about social and ecological sustainability, emphasises Gular Miller, project manager representing the client at Urban Assets Zug AG.

Wooden high-rise buildings are becoming a worldwide building trend. There are good reasons for this: The higher the constructions, the more foundation work can be saved due to the lower weight of the natural material. In V-ZUG Immobilien AG's spectacular Pi project, technological innovations further reduce the weight.

The low weight, the high degree of prefabrication and the unique eco-balance: wood can make the most of its specific qualities when it comes to sustainable compaction in urban areas, making it the most economical building material option in many cases.

As part of a major modernisation project, the Kantonsspital Winterthur is moving three of its four emergency wards under one roof. For the new centre, an existing building was raised in timber construction, making optimal use of the available space. Millimetre work was required.

Wood is considered the ideal building material when building upwards. Particularly in urban areas, timber construction is often the only way to make stacking projects profitable. Philippe Kaufmann explains where exactly the greatest savings can be made.

Sustainability is becoming a decisive criterion for building projects in more and more Swiss municipalities. Wood is naturally the material of choice for this purpose: wooden buildings indirectly increase the CO2 storage capacity of the forests and they contain less grey energy than other buildings.

Generational living based on the principle of neighbourly help – that is the aim of the Winterthur TownVillage development. For the exterior walls and facade design, the total contractor Marti Gesamtleistungen AG is working with Implenia's timber construction experts.

A whole series of large wooden buildings is currently being built in Winterthur. This will help the city on the Eulach to achieve its climate goals, says city councillor and head of the building department Christa Meier in an interview with SPAN.

The pilot projects that are driving the digitisation of the construction industry are often wooden buildings. This is no coincidence. The high degree of prefabrication and the possibility of combining timber constructions from standard elements offer ideal conditions for data-driven processes.

In Winterthur's Lokstadt, Implenia already relied completely on BIM for the first time in the architectural competition. This first improved the evaluation of the submissions and then the planning quality of all trades.

Current BIM projects are primarily about gaining experience and thus laying the groundwork for future projects, says Stefan Rüegg, Timbatec project manager (pictured).

Various construction disciplines worked together for SWISS's new First Class Lounges at Zurich Airport. As a total service provider, Implenia offers an efficient structural and process framework so that the customer receives all services from a single source.

The renovation of the Vogelsang building in Wetzikon-Kempten is progressing quickly – thanks to the addition of wooden floors and lean management. The client benefits from on-time handovers.

The "sue&til" development in Winterthur Neuhegi is not only currently the largest timber construction residential project in Switzerland, but also Allianz Suisse's most extensive construction project to date. The new residents have already moved in. Michael Steiner, Head Asset Management & Acquisition at Allianz Suisse Immobilien AG, explains how the project benefited from Implenia's comprehensive range of services.

Higher productivity through short distances and digital networking. Implenia's new production hall in Rümlang makes full use of the advantages of modern timber construction: planning, material delivery, processing and delivery of the finished elements are optimally coordinated in terms of space. State-of-the-art technologies are used in production and the entire process chain is digitally networked.

The timber housing estate in Winterthur-Neuhegi will be groundbreaking. But it is not only the concept that is exciting, but also its implementation. A look behind the scenes of "sue&til" shows the genesis of the project.

It feels cosy and can be used in many ways. It improves the indoor climate and saves energy during processing. In short: wood is the perfect building material.

Whether prestige buildings, extensions or entire superstructures: In Swiss cities, wood is being used more and more frequently in construction. Fire protection is no longer an obstacle. The first wooden high-rise buildings are already being developed.

Basel's "schorenstadt" shows that there is no way around wood for the structural implementation of the requirements of the 2000-watt society. The interaction between the building disciplines and the sustainability experts was crucial to the success of the project.

In an interview, board member Benjamin Zemann explains why Gesewo, a cooperative for self-managed housing in Winterthur, relies on wood for its construction projects.