Openly Valley Stage 2 - Invitation to Industry Days and Construction Diary
Construction on the second phase began in Widnau, St. Gallen, in May 2026: 10 apartments, all designed by Openly as net-zero energy buildings, with construction emissions cut in half. On June 30 and July 2, our Industry Days will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the construction system—with a focus on the scalable production of hemp-lime walls.
The green light has been given for the second phase of Openly Valley Widnau: a residential complex with 10 apartments is being built in the immediate vicinity of the Phase 1 of Openly Valley Widnau. Once again , the proven principles of the Openly building system are being applied—with various enhancements:
Holcim EcoPlanet / Vigier Ciment Progresso eco-concrete vs. biochar concrete in the first phase
New facade system for hemp-lime exterior walls from our partner company Cancret
Openly Airbox 2.0 with Minergie P certification, more affordable, and now featuring a plug-and-play solution (no longer requires local installation)
Exposed clay ceilings (exposed clay finish) for approx. 300 CHF/m² (Leipfinger Bader)
New development of solar sliding shutters (Schenker Storen / Ehret)
This project demonstrates once again how industrially prefabricated components and sustainable materials work together. Once again, we have achieved a 50% reduction in emissions during construction (“gray energy”), thanks to the optimization of components and building materials. (“Buildings as carbon sinks”).
The Openly building system is characterized by extensive prefabrication, minimal building services, and a circular economy approach: a skeleton structure with an open load-bearing framework allows for flexible repurposing, and high-quality materials become sources of raw materials (rather than waste) at the end of their life cycle. The result is turnkey apartments with construction costs under 900 CHF per cubic meter.
Openly x Cancret Industry Days
Openly x Cancret Industry Days on June 30 and July 2 – reserve your spot. The focus is on the scalable production of hemp-lime walls – experience it firsthand in the region. The half-day program begins at 1:00 PM with guided tours of Europe’s largest hemp house and its second phase (which began in May and features eco-concrete from Sigmund Sieber AG), a visit to Schöb AG (modern timber construction), and a tour of Ammann Bau (production of Cancret hemp-lime walls). The day will demonstrate how the Openly and Cancret ecosystem works in practice. Space is limited — please inquire about remaining spots via email. We look forward to your participation!