HiLo-Unit at NEST

The NEST on the Empa campus in Dübendorf near Zurich is a research demonstration and test building for the "next evolutionary stage of sustainable building technologies". The HiLo unit, short for "High Efficiency - Low Emissions", focuses on the future of sustainable architecture and highly efficient energy technologies, such as the climate-adaptive Solskin facade. HiLo's architecture is inspired by medieval constructions, but was implemented using the latest computer-aided design methods. HiLo integrates a variety of intelligent building systems, including the Solskin facade and efficient indoor climate technologies, to optimize the energy efficiency of cooling, heating, ventilation and lighting. Since its opening in 2021, the unit has served as a "living lab" for testing these energy-efficient and low-emission construction methods. HiLo shows that it is possible to combine top performance with sustainability even under real conditions.

Solskin was installed at NEST for the first time, not as a temporary prototype, but as a permanent installation. The Solskin system has thus been transferred from research to practical application, in keeping with the intended purpose of NEST, and has demonstrated its effective benefits even under these conditions. This was achieved, among other things, because it was possible to gain user acceptance of the system and to introduce Solskin to a wider public. The offices of the HiLo unit have a fully glazed facade equipped with 30 thin-film PV modules that constantly adjust their position to maximize solar energy yield. This innovation optimizes the energy efficiency of the solar modules and at the same time uses them to shade the interior. The design represents a decisive step forward in sustainable construction with active and intelligent architecture.