ETH Zurich strengthens research station in Eschikon-Lindau

Bundled requirements

This is demonstrated by the nearly 40 building applications submitted by ETH members for the site in recent years: on the one hand, to maintain and renew the infrastructure, and on the other, to meet the needs of research.

First, the building applications submitted were examined in detail. Workshops were held to determine the exact needs together with the users and an architecture and engineering firm. The users are primarily the Departments of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS) and Biology (D-BIOL). ¡°This enabled us to develop an overall view so that we could implement the necessary measures in a coordinated manner,¡± explains Laura Poulastrou Gonzalez, the project manager responsible at ETH's Real Estate Department.

The participants also discussed opportunities for better use of space and rooms in order to make optimal use of the site. This led to the development of the ¡°pool what makes sense¡± strategy, an approach that ETH Zurich is also pursuing at other locations and would like to implement even more strongly in the future.

Pooling reduces the need for space and infrastructure by allowing multiple units to share them. ¡°This will enable us to make more effective use of the site and space in the future,¡± says Poulastrou Gonzalez.

Concepts developed for the site

Two concepts were developed: a research concept and a real estate concept. Nina Buchmann, chair of the research station's steering committee, explains: ¡°The jointly developed concepts and strategies will secure the research infrastructure in the long term.¡±

The research concept, known as ¡°Eschikon-Lindau Research Site 2040,¡± envisages the creation of a physical and digital research platform: the Living Lab for Agroecology.

This includes, among other things:

• greenhouses,
• climate chambers,
• a field phenotyping platform, and
• 6.5 hectares of field trial areas.

The concept emphasizes the long-term perspective of the location.

Buchmann adds: ¡°This will enable us to continue conducting fundamental plant research, agricultural research, and research on agroecology in the context of major environmental challenges, i.e., climate change, biodiversity loss, and soil degradation, but also nutrition and health.¡±

Renovations and new construction

Based on the research concept, the Real Estate Department has developed a real estate strategy for the site. This includes:

• the renovation of the existing greenhouses,
• the construction of a new multi-purpose building, and
• the reorganization of the space.

The latter means that some areas will be repurposed and designed to be as flexible as possible so that they can be used in a variety of ways, both now and in the future. The planned costs are around CHF 18 million.

¡°This will make the site more sustainable and give us flexibility for the future. In the future, we will be able to adapt rooms or spaces more quickly to new requirements, for example if research needs change,¡± adds Pichler on the strategy.

¡°With both projects, we are optimally positioning the site for the coming decades and laying the foundations for innovative teaching and research,¡± says Pichler.

The construction work is being carried out in close coordination with the departments concerned, D-USYS and D-BIOL, in order to minimize disruption for users. ETH Zurich is also keeping the neighborhood of the research station informed about the site development and construction work on an ongoing basis.