The new class.
With the OPENLY construction system, we provide a practical, technological overall solution and components for new construction and renovation projects that we have developed and successfully implemented in recent years. Below we provide an insight into the elements and materials that can be used individually or as a building system. The components marked with * were developed by OPENLY.
For architects, we offer in-depth insights in our academy and offer the opportunity to implement their own projects with their own design. Use OPENLY for your contest entry.
See also our FAQ
House as
carbon storage
Current construction site pictures of OPENLY VALLEY WIDNAU - THE PROOF can be found here:
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Around 25% of annual CO2 emissions come from the construction industry. OPENLY building owners are committed to significantly reducing CO2 emissions from new construction and refurbishment.
Preamble:
The new and future discipline in architecture is to develop a building from the perspective of sustainable components and with a plus-energy focus.For every construction and renovation project, it is therefore important to use components that have the smallest possible footprint (avoidance), are recyclable and ideally even store CO2 (cf. construction timber or hempcrete)
OPENLY has no material bias and is not financed by the construction lobby. (see also FAQ)
Wood, concrete and steel should be used where it brings the greatest possible benefit and avoided wherever these building materials are not necessary. (Concrete because it is harmful to the climate, wood because its availability is limited)
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In many regions of the world, there is sufficient construction timber from sustainable forestry. 1 m³ used in the house structure binds a net 727 kg of CO₂. (See CO₂ balance of wood)
The OPENLY building system uses timber as the supporting structure.
Walls: Classic timber frame system construction. Infill with hempcrete (20+12cm) ex works and lime plaster instead of classic construction (façade, wind paper, OSB, insulation, Fermacell/Rigips). Alternative CO2 negative insulations are straw and cellulose.
We recommend cellulose as an alternative insulation to hempcrete.
A word about the wood used:
Construction timber should come from sustainable forestry and should be glued as little as possible with a focus on re-use or later thermal utilization. It is important to use the raw material wood sparingly and to use as much of this material (including waste) as possible as a building material and insulation and not to burn it. This immediately releases the stored CO2 and accelerates climate change.CO2 fact sheet on wood in construction and as a building material:
+ CO₂ balance of wood
+ Explanatory film CO2 storage by Swiss Post -
Wooden cavity box ceilings with clay filling
70% of energy storage takes place in the ceilings. It is therefore important to add mass to the wooden ceilings. OPENLY uses clay.
The elements are prefabricated and closed in the factory. Schöb AG has developed its own press with which it is possible to produce an element in 2 hours. (Costs around 350 chf/m2) incl. assembly.
On site, the ceilings are "plugged" into an H-beam steel construction. This enables simple adaptation in the future, extremely flexible floor plans and large spans without beams and joists.
Steel beams come from re-use (see below) and therefore represent a serious CO2-neutral alternative, especially because a massive amount of wood is saved.
There are other wood (clay) composite ceiling systems. The OPENLY engineer has created an exciting comparison of the systems for your building project. (Spans, costs, CO2 emissions, storage values)
We are happy to establish industry contacts.
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OPENLY Valley Widnau uses biochar concrete in the basement for the underground parking garage (designed as a "white tank") and the stairwell core to reinforce the building.
Discipline 1 for engineers & architects is to avoid and redimension concrete as far as possible, especially in the supporting structure & ceilings. For example, a change of engineer on the Valley Widnau project to reduce the volume of concrete from an initial 1500m3 (construction project) to 800m3 (built).
Discipline 2 is to use CO₂ capturing to improve the CO2 balance of the building material concrete "net", because the emission remains.
It is relatively simple:
1 m3 of concrete causes about 210kg of CO2. Many new technologies of the concrete lobby are largely "greenwashing" - e.g. the enrichment of recycled concrete with CO2 only brings about 5-10kg/m3 which is not even 5% of the emissions.By far the most effective way (currently) to reduce the net CO2 footprint of concrete is with biochar.
Simplified: 1 kg of biochar binds 3 kg of CO₂. With approx. 70 kg/m³ of biochar in the concrete, one achieves net zero . The concrete is given the color anthracite.
Exciting for (listed) companies: The CO2 certificate of this biochar can be used to neutralize your core business.
The OPENLY team helps your construction project to "convert" a local ready-mix concrete plant to biochar. OPENLY is like a virus - wherever an OPENLY is built, an entire ecosystem is created. Become part of this movement.
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STAHL GERLAFINGEN, the largest Swiss producer of reinforcing steel, has for the first time in Switzerland supplied CO2 compensated reinforcing bars via Locher Reinforcements to OPENLY. From now on, it is possible for all construction projects to purchase this CO2 neutral steel. The AFV Beltram Group has developed its own CO2 certificate for this purpose.
Another exciting fact is that the steel is 100% recycled in Switzerland and does not come from a foreign primary source.
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Hemp grows ready for harvest in 110 days. Its fibers are extremely strong, dense and insulating.
Instead of oil-based insulation, OPENLY uses approx. 44 cm thick prefabricated walls with CANCRETE© (hempcrete) for the exterior walls. Instead of the classic plasterboard interior walls, OPENLY uses hemp bricks.
1 m³ of hempcrete binds 100 kg of CO₂ and is therefore highly CO2 negative.
Learn more about our prefabricated construction method and the hemp bricks of our partner Schoenthaler.
+ Further information on production and application processes (openly.systems/Insights)
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Did you know? 70% of the energy storage takes place in the ceiling and 30% in the walls. OPENLY Valley Widnau's 36 cm thick wooden box girder ceiling construction is filled with clay. Clay is a master at storing energy and creating an amazing indoor climate.
Furthermore, the apartment partition walls are clad with 4 layers of clay building boards. These meet all acoustic and fire protection requirements and are also cost-efficient thanks to industrialization.
Clay does not store CO2, but is an elementary component in the focus on prevention, because clay can replace concrete in many places.
There are many new applications, start-ups and building materials in the field of "clay" and wood-clay ceilings. We will under "Insights" and can establish contacts on request.
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The Swiss innovation leader in the circular economy EBERHARD has set up a database for re-use iron girders. OEBU supported the project.
For the project OPENLY Valley Widnau approx. 30 tons of HEB and HEM steel girders were required, of which approx. 1/3 came from re-use.
This means that these steel beams had already been installed in a building or excavation.OPENLY uses these beams as a kind of "plug-in system" for wooden hollow box ceilings that are filled with clay. In this way, the materials are combined in the best possible way - each where it is best and strongest. On the one hand, wood is saved, and on the other hand, jointless and beamless timber ceilings can be created without underlays and overlays.
And best of all: CO2 neutral! (thanks to re-use).
Of course, our total carbon footprint includes transportation from the Eberhard warehouse to installation.
House as powerplant
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Solar panels on 95% of the roof surface are actually a must for every new build and renovation project and a business case. For OPENLY's, this reference area provides enough energy for the PlusEnergy standard.
It's relatively simple:
A solar system provides about 200 KwH per m2 per year in central Europe. More in the south, less in the north. This is roughly equivalent to the annual consumption of a dishwasher.Thanks to the excellent building physics, an OPENLY only requires around 10W/m2 for heating, making it easily a plus-energy house. See explanations on building physics in other chapters on this page.
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Since OPENLY produces its own electricity, it is a good idea to use an electric heat pump.
Depending on the situation, a heat pump reaches an efficiency of 2-4.
Simplified:
One kilowatt hour (KWh) of electricity can produce approximately 2-4 kilowatt hours of energy (heat).In addition, storage tanks (water tanks) can be filled when power is available (nice weather). The OPENLY SYSTEM controls the whole building incl. weather forecast.
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Did you know?
Residential buildings in Switzerland require more energy for hot water production than for heating in winter.Instead of a boiler, OPENLY uses a central fresh water station with storage tank served by the heat pump. Hot water is produced only when and where it is needed, with excellent water quality at all times.
The water prefabricated wet rooms from Dade Design showers installed in a closed, decentralized system recover around 30% energy(Joulia technology).
OPENLY Valley Widnau even goes one step further and has prefabricated all the wet cells. prefabricated and lifted them into the timber construction as prefabricated elements. If floor plans are changed at a later date, these wet rooms can simply be moved (using a pallet trolley).
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An OPENLY requires approx. 10W of heating energy per m2. That is almost nothing.
You can choose the heating energy input for your OPENLY as you wish: Radiators, underfloor heating or alternative systems such as infrared panels (where permitted) or new tiled stoves. The focus is on avoiding building installations as far as possible, as these are expensive, require intensive maintenance and have a limited service life.
An increasingly important aspect is cooling in summer. In this case, architectural measures of sun protection should be used primarily and air conditioning only secondarily. For this, however, OPENLYs provide sufficient energy in summer through the solar system.
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The subject of energy storage includes 3 topics:
A) Seasonal storage (overproduction in summer, demand in winter)B) Day/night memory
The most efficient way to store energy is with water storage tanks by using the surplus solar energy to heat the tanks for heating and hot water during the day (and not at night with cheaper nuclear power).
For the remaining short-term storage, we have opted for a battery system that is linked to the hybrid inverter of the PV system and is also capable of providing emergency power. As far as batteries are concerned, the first suppliers that recycle old car batteries will be coming onto the market in the near future. These will then also come from re-use and be largely CO2 neutral. (See Voltfang, etc.)
We looked at hydrogen (H2) for the seasonal storage system for some time but then rejected the system as there are no (affordable and feasible) solutions for multi-family homes. Alternatives are compressed air or spring storage systems.
Either way - energy storage always has something to do with mass. At OPENLY, we pay great attention to building the technical rooms as generously as possible in order to be able to install future storage solutions.
House as
software
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Our everyday life is determined by cell phones and software.
OPENLY is based on a digital home automation system that allows each room to be individually ventilated (OPENLY AIRBOX*), lit and controlled.
The asymmetric generation and use of electricity needs smart solutions to consume energy when energy from the solar panels is available. The heat pump, household appliances and electric car charging is done when this is the case.
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For OPENLY Valley Widnau, we used a BUS system from Digitalstrom (similar to the well-known KNX system). The Swiss industry pioneer Cleverson is responsible for the implementation. The Limmat Tower from HALTER with 140 apartments is an impressive example.
Each room can be programmed and controlled via the OPENLY App, ALEXA or manually via switches. The software measures and controls each room according to the desired CO2, humidity and temperature settings.
Avoidance is also the top priority when it comes to electrical installations. In the OPENLY VALLEY Widnau project, for example, practically no electrical cables (blue hoses) were laid. All push-buttons are wireless (Enocean) and can be extended and replaced as required. The electricity for the luminaires runs "surface-mounted" in copper pipes.
Again, the focus is on adaptability in the future and re-use and value retention of the raw material.
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The OPENLY app inspires owners and tenants to track and optimize their own energy consumption. Who is the most efficient tenant/owner in the building? We are convinced that gamification is much more effective (and entertaining) than legal regulations.
Of course, only A+++ hardware is installed in our buildings.
House as
a home
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Das Raumklima von OPENLY Gebäuden ist dank Isolationswert (< 0.16) und Speichermasse rund 3 Monate hinter der eigentlichen Jahreszeit. Die Wärme des Sommers hilft beim Heizen im Winter und umgekehrt, wenn es um die Kühlung im Sommer geht.
The indoor climate is reminiscent of the feeling when you enter an old stone house in Tuscany in the summer. With the difference that our houses are not cold in winter :-)
OPENLY diffusion-open walls (see hempcrete) are particularly suitable for offices, kindergartens, schools and retirement homes.
Visit the Valley Widnau pilot project and experience the wonderful living and working environment.
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Instead of pumping air into the rooms in pipes (Minergie), the OPENLY AIRBOX© opens automatically if the CO2 content or humidity is too high. In summer, the airboxes are used for night-time cooling.
The OPENLY AIRBOXES© are a counter-proposal to controlled living space ventilation in accordance with Minergie and can be combined with any standard window. Airboxes are installed in the reveal. This offers considerable advantages (invisible function, noise and pinch protection).
Of course, the individual windows can also be opened manually at any time.
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The foundation, flexibility of the supporting structure and beauty are decisive for the longevity of buildings. See link homepage 100years of mastermind Willem Brujin, who is also part of the OPENLY consultant team.
Ideally, OPENLYs have a standard dimension and a clear height of 2.6m (ground floor 3.0m). In the floors/ceilings there are no/very few installations, so the space program can be adapted at any time and e.g. an office space can be turned into an AirBnB or an income property can be adapted to future tenant requirements. OPENLY probably has the best long-term return of all building types.
For OPENLY Valley Widnau, we chose a lime plaster exterior with local stone aggregates as the most efficient and also most stylish and durable design method. In addition, the project has generous common areas (communal kitchen with roof terrace), which further contributes to sustainability, as m2 can be "saved" on apartments.
In principle, priority number one is always: Build as little as possible . See also our FAQ & comments by Andres Herzog.
House as an investment
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Although invisible in many buildings, the design of the structural framework is critical to the adaptability to future uses of the building.
Crucial to the whole CO2 and resource consideration is the longevity of buildings. The longer (and more often) a building is (re)used, the more sustainable it is.
The load-bearing structure is central to the CO2 balance. See many more details on our website about the OPENLY system with plugged wooden box girder ceilings.
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Return always comes first, that is the doctrine of our time.
The extremely low energy consumption and the sustainable construction method dramatically reduce ancillary costs (e.g. 30 CHF/mt for a 4-room apartment), which means a significant increase in net rents.
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Timber construction forces architects and specialist planners to plan a building ready for use. Due to the prefabrication of elements, OPENLYs are usually built in less than 1 year.
Dry screed, prefabricated wet cells, etc., do the rest.
The current BKP structure as well as standard tenders do not take into account a fast and coordinated construction process. However, it is - the faster a building is built, the more cost-efficient it is.
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Again, if wet rooms are prefabricated(see Dade Design), a lot of (construction) time can be saved and planning effort can be shifted to where it counts.
It is important to plan heat recovery from the hot waste water.
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OPENLY has 3 focus areas in this area:
1: Reduced building services
Installation of as little building services as possible. For example, OPENLY partially does without shading because of the terrace towers or ventilation pipes (Minergie).2: Large technology rooms
The reason is simple, we don't know today what technology & energy storage will be available to us in 10 years. We often use the analogy of a floppy disk from today's buildings. The innovations will be groundbreaking. Storing energy always takes space. That is physics.3 Accessible riser zones
In order to install new technology, the riser zones must be accessible. Today, however, these are planned and designed (in residential construction) in such a way that it is only possible to adapt them with enormous effort.
House as
an urban mine
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If an OPENLY is ever to be converted or deconstructed, one focus of the planning is already on the deconstruction. Thus, OPENLY constructions are almost exclusively plugged or screwed. All components can be dismantled and removed.
OPENLY does not use construction glue during assembly and takes care to use as little glue as possible in the construction wood.
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The OPENLY standard dimensions and open supporting structure allow flexible conversion in the future. This means that all walls can be removed without restrictions or an OPENLY can be extended or extended as required.
This clever system is ideal for schools and kindergartens, for example, where teaching methods, class sizes and uses are constantly changing or school buildings in individual districts have to be extended due to the number of children. An OPENLY can even be dismantled and reassembled at a new location as the entire construction is screwed or plugged in.
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Some components from the OPENLY Valley Widnau project already come from re-use.
The Swiss innovation leader in the circular economy EBERHARD has built a database for re-use iron beams together with OEBU.
For the OPENLY Valley Widnau project, we purchased around 10 tons of HEB and HEM steel beams that had already been installed once in a building. Of course, our carbon footprint includes transportation from the warehouse and installation.
When designing OPENLYs, attention should be paid to re-use possibilities. For example, 400 tons of clay, 1 kilometer of copper pipes or 300m3 of wooden beams can be used directly in another project without any processing.
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The remaining components of the OPENLY construction system are recycled. The word says it all. If you use high-quality materials, they have a value after the end of their useful life. These include raw materials in solar cells or glass, hemp fibers, copper, iron & steel.