Building reports

The construction of the new Baselland Vocational Training Centre (BBZ BL) in Muttenz is creating a forward-looking educational centre featuring a modern learning environment and sustainable architecture. ERNE is building an innovative school building that provides the ideal conditions for learning, teaching and social interaction. 

On the premises of Lagerhäuser Aarau AG in Hunzenschwil, ERNE is constructing a state-of-the-art high-bay warehouse and modern office space featuring attractive workspaces.

The Dorf Primary School in Sissach is set to be expanded by a new, underground triple-purpose sports hall by summer 2026. This will blend the historic surroundings of the existing primary school building with modern elements, whilst the space-efficient design will free up space above ground for an all-weather sports pitch.

The historic building is being converted into a six-storey retail and office building based on designs by Herzog de Meuron, with work due to be completed by December 2025. The conversion presents major challenges. Limited space for construction activities, including deliveries and storage; complex construction processes; the simultaneous demolition and new-build work; and structural gutting are just a few of the key issues.

A major expansion of the ProRheno Basel wastewater treatment plant will bring its current capacity – which serves the approximately 270,000 residents of the cantons of Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft – into line with the population growth expected in the catchment area by 2040. The refurbishment and expansion of one of Switzerland’s largest wastewater treatment plants is only possible if everyone involved in the project pulls together and works in unison to develop the best possible solutions.

By 2026/27, a completely new neighbourhood is set to be built on the “Koch-Areal” brownfield site, comprising 350 affordable homes for 900 people as well as commercial space. The schedule is ambitious, and this major construction project demands reliability and expertise from all partners. 

Construction work on Zurich’s new ‘Zwhatt’ district in the Regensdorf-Watt area will take place in Regensdorf between 2022 and 2030.

In Oensingen, ERNE completed a new 150-metre-long building with a complex structural layout for the long-established company Bell. The particular challenges of this industrial construction project, which was divided into six construction sectors, were the varying floor levels and steps. For this BIM2Field construction site, our VDC department created the three-dimensional as-built model based on the 2D plans.

The eastern bypass, which relieves the historic centre of Bad Zurzach of through traffic, is over a kilometre long and runs through a 530-metre tunnel. The bypass connects Bruggerstrasse and Zürcherstrasse via a two-lane cantonal road and is used by around 10,000 vehicles every day.

The building services company Meier Tobler has built a new service centre in Oberbuchsiten. The project involved the planning and construction of a modern, environmentally friendly new building.

In the Rombach district of Küttigen, ERNE developed the «Baumgarten» residential complex, comprising 163 residential units, on the site of the former Hauenstein tree nursery. Covering a total area of 34,000 m², three distinct building zones have been created, offering living spaces to suit the highest standards and every taste. 

For the new B-7281 wildlife underpass in Brugg, which reconnects the interrupted Schinznach-Bad wildlife corridor, the SBB railway line and the cantonal road had to be crossed via an underpass. The project was carried out by ERNE as a turnkey civil engineering contract. During a weekend operation, a concrete structure weighing 1,000 tonnes was moved into position within 56 hours.

After excavating 82,000 cubic metres of earth, we completed the construction of the new Switzerland Innovation Park Innovaare innovation campus next to the world-renowned Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen – a significant milestone for the canton of Aargau as a centre for business and science. 

In 2018, the ERNE plus joint venture won the tender for the overall management of the new construction of a multi-storey building housing offices and investigation rooms for the Zurich City Police. Construction work on the turnkey project began in October 2018. A number of challenges had to be overcome during the civil engineering and structural works.

The ambitious comprehensive renovation of the historic main building of the Basel Barracks. Curved arches instead of straight lintels in larger openings, as well as an exceptional aesthetic for the red exposed-concrete stairwell, are challenges that the ERNE team is tackling.

In the Bözberg/Riniken area, a 380-kilovolt high-voltage power line has been laid underground for the first time. ERNE’s civil engineering specialists carried out work on steep slopes and rocky terrain, as well as constructing an underpass beneath the SBB railway line and Bözbergstrasse.

The new-build project for Roche presented an exciting challenge for the teams at ERNE Hochbau. The complexity of the buildings, the tight construction schedule and the stringent safety requirements posed a number of challenges for the teams at ERNE Hochbau.

Building a new ramp – that sounds like a straightforward job. But demolishing and rebuilding the access road to an underground car park in Basel proved to be a real challenge. The obstacles: extremely limited space and numerous complicating factors on site.

Hall temperatures of 30°C, high salt content in the water and a relative humidity of 65% place high demands on the building construction. The ERNEplus project team consulted with the ERNE site managers as early as the planning phase of the turnkey project to ensure optimal work preparation. In addition, a special concrete mix with the “seawater” exposure class was produced in collaboration with K+B Münchwilen.

Due to the limited space in the heart of the company campus, which is home to office and laboratory buildings where around 2,000 people work, the demolition had to be carried out with as little pollution as possible. This was no easy task. With the aid of a protective screen, the demolition was completed systematically and without causing any pollution.