A radically sustainable building by
SENN (senn.com)
with
Herzog & de Meuron, ZPF Ingenieure,
blumer-lehmann, Lehm Ton Erde
and landscape architect Piet Oudolf
HORTUS is ALL about the future of construction and sustainable in many dimensions.
For me Hortus is a love letter to the future, Because it shows what's possible, and even before its opening 2025, the building has inspired architects and engineers around the world. more so now that it is finished.
HORTUS sets a new standard for sustainability: It repays its embodied construction energy and will be energy-positive after just 30 years.
HORTUS is committed to the circular economy. Every component has a future already inscribed before it is installed – and instructions for reuse should the building no longer be needed after a few generations.
The full-circle design of HORTUS ensures that no component is ever wasted.
Just Some facts:
The timber structure uses only Swiss wood.
the wood-clay ceiling element, made from clay of the neighboring excavation, was produced directlx on site.
The interior concept of Hortus emphasizes the use of recycled and natural materials.
the wood-clay ceiling element, made from clay of the neighboring excavation, was produced directlx on site.
The interior concept of Hortus emphasizes the use of recycled and natural materials.
Below: pictures from the documentation of the construction between 2023 up until the opening 2025.
The radically sustainable HORTUS office building opened in June 2025.
Further information about the building's offerings can be found here: hortus.ch
