The proof in practice.
OPENLY Valley Widnau breaks records
Largest "hemp house" in Europe (as of 2024)
Savings of approx. 900t CO2 (> -50%) compared to a conventional building to approx. 5.5 kg CO2 / EBF
KfW 40, GEAK A, Minergie P with airbox, PlusEnergy (Minergie A)
SNBS Gold, LEED Gold (certifications ongoing)One of the first apartment buildings in Europe to be built completely CO2 neutral. See Carbon Removal Certificates
Large biochar concreting stage (300m3 on 21.8.2023).
Applicable worldwide with immediate effect.Largest Swiss project with re-use of steel beams
First project with 100% recycled and CO2 neutralized reinforcing steel from AFV Beltrame.
For the passivity of the timber construction: 400,000 kg of clay fill in the ceilings and 48,000 kg of clay building boards for apartment partition walls
Prefabricated dade design wet rooms with heat recovery (Joulia) and CO2 neutralized fittings (Geberit & Dornbracht)
Completely digital home control and energy management (OPENLY OS), integrated storage with battery and water, controlled living space ventilation with OPENLY airboxes
Pioneering work
OPENLY's vision is to turn commercial and residential buildings from carbon emitters into carbon sinks. To date, no one has achieved a commercially scalable building system that would promote further carbon capture and storage. Our bespoke and patented hempcrete technology(CANCRET) in combination with timber construction makes it possible to store around 250kg of CO2 per m2 of gross floor area. (see Openly/Certificate)
Das OPENLY Bausystem senkt die Bauemissionen um > 50% und erreicht mit <6 kg CO2 Emission pro m2 die gesetzlichen Zielwerte von Dänemark vom Jahr 2029. OPENLY spielt in der gleichen globalen Liga wie Living Places in Kopenhagen von VELUX mit Effekt Architekten (Gewinner MIPIM Award 2024) sowie HORTUS von Herzog & de Meuron & Senn.
The OPENLY approach consists of sharing. Global thinking - decentralized planning and building. We make the building system openly available with the Openly.Lab and Openly.Data. Not every client and not every architecture firm has to reinvent everything. There are currently 44 units in execution planning and over 300 units in the pipeline with project developers and builders.
We are driven by climate change, because 25% of annual global CO2 emissions come from the construction industry. That is around 8 times more than all air traffic.
As a society, we need to focus on fossil-free building materials that are as renewable and recyclable as possible.
Switzerland
Valley Widnau
Switzerland Valley Widnau
Facts about OPENLY
Valley Widnau
Total project volume: CHF 20 million (30 apartments)
Developer: OPENLY AG
General planner & component development: OPENLY AG & Schoeb AG
Building application stage 1: Baumschlager Eberle Architekten
Lead architects: Sandra Schuster & Jürgen Oswald
Color design: Meerevilla
Specialist planners & construction management: See Openly Partner
Stage 1: 3082m2 GFA (2267 SFR), 19 condominiums sold and occupied
Stage 2: Planned by Valley-Architects
Execution 2025/6 with 1150m2 SFR, 11 apartments
Key Facts OPENLY Stage 1:
Construction costs stage 1: approx. 3,800 CHF/m2 floor area
(construction costs stage 2: approx. 3,400 EUR/m2)
CO2 balance creation: approx. 5.5 kg/EBF. With CO2 storage, backed up with certificates, the project already achieves net zero on occupation. See provisional CO2 balance
Heating and hot water energy requirement: approx. 31,000 KWH (= approx. 14KWH/m2 net floor area)
PlusEnergyHouse Annual yield PV system: approx. 85,000 KWH (covers heating with heat pump, household electricity and approx. 200,000 electric car kilometers)
Number of employees: 8 OPENLY & approx. 20 specialist planners
Construction time stage 1: 13 months (start of excavation to occupation)
Planning time: 17 months
Photocredit: Jens Ellensohn
High res download: Openly/media