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
GEAK A, Minergie A (plus energy), Minergie Eco P, SNBS Gold, LEED Gold (certifications ongoing)
First apartment building in Europe to be built completely CO2 neutral using biogenic carbon capturing, backed by CO2 certificates)
Largest 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
Switzerland
Valley Widnau
Switzerland Valley Widnau
Pioneering work
The driving force behind the Openly Valley Widnau pilot project was to prove that climate-efficient - or with carbon capturing even climate-neutral - construction is possible.
Openly Valley Widnau achieves around 5.5 kg of CO2 emissions during construction per m2 of energy reference area, putting it in the same global league as Living Places in Copenhagen by VELUX with Effekt Architekten (winner of the MIPIM Award 2024) and Hortus by Herzog & de Meuron, albeit without underground parking.
The big difference: Openly makes this knowledge available worldwide as a building system in order to achieve the greatest possible impact. Not every client and not every architecture firm has to reinvent everything.
We are driven by climate change, because 25% of global annual CO2 emissions come from the construction industry. As a society, we need to switch to fossil-free and, if possible, cement-free and local building materials that are renewable or can be reused.
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 with 1150m2 SFR, 11 apartments
Key Facts OPENLY Stage 1:
Construction costs: approx. 3,800 CHF/EUR/m2 floor area
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