“Openly meets” #1—SIMÓN VELEZ
Colombian architect Simón Vélez is regarded worldwide as a pioneer of modern bamboo architecture. Using innovative joining techniques, he made the Guadua bamboo species—also known as “vegetable steel” —suitable for use in large, load-bearing structures.

-10° in winter, +40° in summer
The Openly Valley Widnau Stage 2 is dedicated to climate resilience.

The second phase of our OPENLY Valley Widnau project is just around the corner—and we’re focusing on transparency and practicality. For the first time, we’re using two different concrete concepts with nearly identical carbon footprints but very different approaches and cost structures.

For years, we have been working to design buildings that, on the one hand, generate minimal embodied energy (CO₂ emissions) and, on the other hand, remove CO₂ from the atmosphere over the long term. This is the only way the construction industry can make a significant contribution to combating climate change. Unfortunately, we often encounter a lack of interest among investors. Today, we’ll analyze why this is the case and provide a brief, fact-based overview of CO₂ storage in the building sector.