HiLo-Unit at NEST

The NEST, located on the Empa campus in Dübendorf, Switzerland, is an incubation and demonstration facility for “Next Evolution in Sustainable Building Technologies”. The HiLo unit, short for “High Efficiency - Low Emissions” showcases the future of sustainable architecture and highly energy efficient technologies like the first of its kind climate-adaptive Solskin facade system. The architecture of HiLo has been inspired by medieval designs but was executed using cutting edge modern  computational design methods. HiLo integrates smart building systems, including the Solskin climate-adaptive facade and efficient indoor climate technologies to optimize the energy efficiency of cooling, heating, ventilation and lighting. Since its construction in 2021, the unit serves as a living lab for testing of these energy-efficient, low-emission construction methods, blending high performance with sustainability in real-world conditions.
As the first permanent application of the Solskin system, the HiLo unit has demonstrated its effectiveness in transitioning projects such as Solskin from research to practical use, helping them to gain user acceptance and presenting them to the public. The office space at the HiLo unit features a fully glazed facade equipped with 30 thin-film PV modules, which constantly adjust their position to maximize solar energy output. This innovation optimizes energy efficiency, and design, representing a key advancement in sustainable construction.