Allreal is planning a mixed-use complex with rental apartments and offices in Baar ZG

Glattpark, 16 March 2022: Allreal is planning a mixed-use complex for Baarermatte in Baar ZG. With 110 rental apartments and office space spanning 7,400 square metres, it will meet stringent sustainability standards. When initially planning the project, the company invited six architecture firms to take part in a study contract. The judging panel recommended proceeding with the plans submitted by Roman Hutter Architektur GmbH based in Lucerne.

As the owner of the Baarermatte plot covering around 18,000 square metres in Baar ZG, Allreal is creating a mixed-use complex with around 19,800 square metres of usable space in total. 60% of that will be used for rental apartments and 40% will be allocated as office space. At the project development phase in the second half of 2021, six architecture firms were invited to take part in a study competition. The judging panel headed up by Piet Eckert in Zurich recommended proceeding with the project plans submitted by Lucerne-based Roman Hutter Architektur GmbH in collaboration with Lauber Essential Timber Engineering, also in Lucerne. The plan consists of four residential buildings and an office building all in wood along with an innovative mobility tower for parking with a design inspired by a high-bay warehouse.

Allreal set itself ambitious targets in the sustainability strategy it published in November 2021. This means that the Baarermatte project needs to set an example as a building project with low greenhouse gas emissions whilst living up to the usual high standards for the architecture and outside space. Allreal is striving to create and operate the new builds without releasing more than the equivalent of six kilograms of CO₂ per square metre of the energy reference area each year. The sustainability requirements – including the use of as much wood as possible in the structure, minimal use of concrete, ultra-efficient building service systems and extensive use of photovoltaic systems – appeared in the list of the main criteria for the firms taking part in the study project.

The existing three-floor office building dating back to 1981 contains offices and restaurants covering around 9,000 square metres alongside around 1,500 square metres of storage and archive space. Currently part of Allreal’s portfolio of yield-producing properties, it no longer complies with the current standards for building services, comfort and energy consumption. On that basis, it is going to be demolished as part of the new-build project.

Allreal will be pressing ahead with the winning project over the next few months. At the same time, the company will also be working with the Baar ZG local authority to draw up a basic development plan. Mid-2024 is the date scheduled for the planning application. Although the ongoing plan will depend on the approval process, construction is expected to start in Autumn 2025 and the completion date is set for the end of 2027. The investment amounts to more than CHF 160 million.