Hortus Opens, An Example of Radical Sustainability

ALLSCHWIL, SWITZERLAND – Hortus officially opened today: a pioneering sustainable workplace designed for the next generation of life science companies in the Swiss Innovation Park area outside of Basel.

Driven by the client Senn’s vision to create a radically sustainable office building, our team embarked on a design process that started from the end — from the detail to the building. Together with ZPF Engineers and a team of experienced planners, we committed to a seven-month testing phase to develop a new building element: a timber-clay ceiling slab that forms the basic module for the construction of the entire five-storey building. The slab generates ten times less CO₂ emissions than a conventional flat concrete floor. Combined with geothermal energy and over 5,000 m² of photovoltaic panels, the building will offset the energy used during its construction and operation within 31 years.

The building, with space for 600 collaborators, is organized around a green atrium. It stands on stilts, slightly elevated above the ground, and opens to a wide passageway on the south side that leads to a garden designed by landscape architect Piet Oudolf. Tall shrubs, grasses, flowering perennials, and climbing plants along the courtyard façades provide dense greenery along a curved gravel path. Collected rainwater is used for irrigation and for the sanitary facilities. Together with the natural building materials, the garden supports a healthy work environment.

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hortus.ch