The new building is strategically located near the railway station in Wetzikon, in a zone with a history of strong appreciation in value. The building is seen as the first part of the city on the far side of the tracks.
Suva’s new and distinctive office and residential building is optimally located along the Guyer-Zeller Street. The 70-meter long, six-storey building (one underground, one ground and four upper levels) is placed slightly away from the street. Its rhythmic glass cladding exudes tranquility and transparency. Facing the railway station, a canopy over the complete length of the building marks the main façade. The top floor is set slightly back from the façade and topped with a “hovering” canopy that rounds off the building’s volume. The entrances are in line with the underpasses of the railway station. Two staircases and two elevators connect all floors.
The underground level includes rooms for building services and alternative uses. The ground floor, as well as three of the four upper levels, are used as office space. The top floor has six attractive apartments for rent. Behind and parallel to the building is the car park, a single-floor, flat-roofed building with a ground-level entrance.
The supporting construction is composed of concrete ceilings and pillars. The ground floor to third floors are encased in a glass and aluminium shell, with floor-to-ceiling, fixed, glazed windows and narrow openings for ventilation. The openings are hidden from the outside by wide-meshed expanded metal. Blinds mounted on the outside offer protection from the sunlight.
The building has been awarded a Minergie certificate. A thermoactive component system found in the ceiling of each floor controls heating and cooling. A fully automated pellet-burning system provides the energy for heating rooms. The building’s warm water is heated primarily by waste heat collected from the building and secondarily by the aforementioned heating system. Solar panels located on the roof of the building generate the majority of the electricity used for building services.
