News

The jury report of the housing competition has just been published on Espazium. Congratulations again to point0 for their 4th prize! Windows of Opportunities supported the team with reuse strategies focusing on windows — from reclaimed glass in curtain walls to innovative combinations of standardized elements for high thermal performance.

Congratulations to point0 for winning 4th prize in the housing competition! Windows of Opportunities supported the team on reuse strategies, focusing on window reuse — from integrating reclaimed glass in curtain walls to doubling standardized windows for high thermal performance.

Some of the windows collected in Amden now form the meeting room of co-struct. The timber structure is built from reused wood, and the entire construction is designed for disassembly — nothing is glued.

Our researcher Michelle Schneider will present her paper on windows and circularity at the SBE25 Conference on June 26. The paper explores strategies to extend the life cycle of windows through reuse and recycling approaches.

At the AEC Hackathon in Winterthur, our team developed the foundation of a specialized window database. The prototype includes a feature that automatically evaluates the reuse and recycling potential of windows, setting the stage for a digital tool to support circular strategies in the building sector.

We recently took out several windows and effortlessly removed them in seconds – including the frames. These double-glazed windows from 2020 are in excellent condition. We are currently investigating whether they can be reused in new projects.

As part of the CBI Booster with RE-WIN, we have jointly produced a publication in which the various players in the supply chain for the reuse of windows are tracked and evaluated. The book is available to order now.

Our research and our prototype are now documented in the “Raum für Wissen” platform, in which selected knowledge of a physical and immaterial nature created in Hall 180 is visualized and placed in a larger context.

On 25.11.24, the Joint-Master Freiburg held its final critique at the Blue factory. The students spent a whole week working on a 1:1 scale on various re-use materials, including windows. Michelle Schneider was invited to the final presentation as a guest expert.

Together with RE-WIN, we were invited by Cirkla to host a webinar on the reuse of windows in Ukraine and their potential for Switzerland. The webinar will soon be available online for all interested parties.

We strongly believe that our re-use window system can also solve many noise problems. We are currently carrying out acoustic tests to prove this.

We are looking forward to the results!

Thanks to the InnoCheque, we were able to build our first reusable window prototype.

Come and see the prototype in the Werkstückhalle. It’s open every working day from 9am to 5pm.

In the November issue of Tracés, entitled “Autopsie du bâti”, I had the opportunity to share my expertise on the reuse of windows and the challenges involved. This conversation was transcribed into an article by Marion Cruz Absi.

Bridge Proof of Concept supports young researchers who want to apply their research and bring innovative products to life. We are thrilled to be among the laureates and to have the opportunity to work on this project for another year with this funding.

In collaboration with Tobias Metzger, an experienced carpenter, we began building our first prototypes, ran several tests in the workshop, and most importantly, optimized our production processes.We’re thrilled to bring this master’s project to life and demonstrate the feasibility of the thesis.

Through RE-WIN, an organisation that sends old Swiss windows to Ukraine for reconstruction, we had the opportunity to host an exhibition at the Basel 2023 Open House. As part of the event, we organised a window-themed memory game to engage and entertain visitors.

In collaboration with Tobias Metzger of Wick Upcycling GmbH, we were thrilled to receive an InnoCheque worth 15,000 CHF, which will allow us to complete my master’s thesis over the next six months. Our plan is to create prototypes and conduct thermal and acoustic tests to determine if they meet today’s standards.

The SIA’s Professional Group for Architecture, in collaboration with the Swiss Architectural Council, awards every year a prize for the best Master’s theses in architecture. My thesis was among the nominated projects. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it to the final selection for an award, maybe next time 🙂

Students at the University of Applied Sciences in Augsburg organised a conference on Re-Use with guests Yayun Liu from MVRDV, Falk Schnemann from KIT and I, Michelle Schneider from ZHAW. It was a great opportunity to present my Master’s thesis conducted at the Institute of Constructive Design.