Swiss hearing-aid company Sonova has opened a smart building for its Phonak Communications subsidiary that adapts heating and ventilation to the outside climate.

This is said to be one of Switzerland’s first office buildings that is carbon-neutral in its operations.

The Sonova Wireless Competence Center in Murten will accommodate around 180 employees entrusted with developing and marketing small communication and hearing protection systems.

The building aligns with Sonova’s sustainability programme, whose goals include a continuous reduction of the company’s environmental impact. The entire group aims to achieve carbon-neutral operations by the end of 2021.

“We are delighted to open our new Wireless Competence Center in Murten,” said Arnd Kaldowski, CEO of Sonova. “As one of Switzerland’s first zero-energy commercial properties, it is part of the world’s first generation of carbon-neutral buildings. This pioneering project is an excellent example of how we are continually reducing the environmental footprint of our business in line with our strategy. We are committed to ensuring that the Sonova Group’s entire operations will be carbon-neutral by the end of 2021. With its unique environmental features, innovative spatial design and construction, our Wireless Competence Center provides an ideal workplace for our colleagues.”

The building operates carbon-neutrally and adapts to the outside climate, requiring hardly any building services installations such as heating or ventilation systems. The office has been designed down to the last detail for low energy consumption.

It was built using mainly renewable and reusable materials, so that construction-related grey energy could be reduced. Made of a single wythe of climate-neutrally manufactured blocks, the solid façade retains energy and moisture. The building largely regulates itself by absorbing heat and releasing it again when it gets colder outside.

The healthy indoor climate is primarily the result of controlled natural ventilation; pure lime putty on the walls and ceilings purifies the air indoors and regulates the atmospheric humidity. Air is refreshed via the windows rather than through ventilation ducts. Controllable ventilation flaps on the windows facilitate the circulation of fresh air. During the summer, the same ventilation flaps cool the building naturally at night.

A ambient temperature of between 21 and 26˚C is guaranteed throughout the year. The surface area of the windows is sized to ensure the building does not heat up excessively when temperatures are warm. The high windows on the façade are designed to admit a large amount of natural light, so the use of artificial lighting can be largely avoided. Thanks to these features, the building has very low energy requirements.

The centre’s photovoltaic array generates 260,000kW-hours of energy per year, which is a higher amount of renewable and carbon-neutral electricity than it needs. This surplus capacity is fed back into the grid and made available to other consumers. The building’s energy requirements are comfortably below the limits set by international and Swiss sustainability labels.

According to figures supplied by Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment, buildings are responsible for around one quarter of CO₂ emissions across the country.

The architecture of the two-story building creates a contemporary and innovative workplace for employees and reflects Sonova’s open and collaborative culture. On the first floor, the spacious reception area, with its central staircase, forms the centrepiece of the office and provides a space for spontaneous interaction. Leading off the reception area is an open-plan cafeteria and adjacent terrace.

Also on the first floor are the logistics centre, R&D laboratories and R&D test chambers. On the second floor, open-plan offices and various focus and meeting rooms offer ample space for collaboration. All rooms are equipped with communications technology and are designed for flexibility for current and future work requirements.