SBB: The ReUse "Werkstadt"

Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) is a real steamer. Every year, the company invests CHF 6 billion in the mobility and infrastructure of tomorrow, and DER TRENDBEOBACHTER Mathias Haas was right in the middle of it.

When a "ship" like this turns, there are waves.

The Werkstadt in Zurich used to be SBB CFF FFS workshops. Here, 42,000m2 are being converted from an industrial facility into a place for commercial and industrial innovation. The beautiful coffee machines called #ZURIGA are from here (regular readers of the TRENDBEOBACHTER-Blog know the young company from the HAPPINESS MINDSET TOUR). But a brewery, a coffee roasting company and the retailer of artists' materials Boesner are also on board. The latter was included, for example, because the product range produces a lot of traffic.

Heike Kiefer had forewarned the future companion Haas in the Zoom call: "This project shows that re-use and circular economy are possible. The concepts are already at least cost-neutral today!". What is happening here? Why is this project so noteworthy? Because long-term thinking is being applied here and new materials are not being blindly installed in numerous places.

Until 2030: maximum emission reduction.

The goals they have set themselves are significant. But there are still hurdles - for example in civil engineering - that make the use of recycled concrete difficult. The stability must be massive. But what is possible and is being done is to use materials from elsewhere in other places. Or to refine surfaces. Scrap wood from the woodworker was used for the sound insulation. "Scrap rails" were used as impact protection. Another great example are listed and rather "airy" windows, some of which were doubled and others were given box-type windows again from the inside (with a gap of about 30cm). Let's move on, the catenary poles of electrified railways.... 60 percent of the vertical beams in the largest hall come from the track bed. They didn't even need much cleaning. Parts of the railing come from the demolition of a hospital in Winterthur. And if it's just park benches left over from a trial construction - today you're standing on the "wasteland".

"Light as a Service".

What was ordered here was the light, not the luminaire - or even the light bulb. So SBB doesn't care about repairs or power consumption. On the contrary, there is already a price for a possible buy-back in 25 years. Yes, it is a question of KPIs. And all that was included not only for new lanterns but also for historical ones.

Here, people think more long-term.

At the same time, not everything is crystal clear (at the beginning) - neither with the "light tender" nor with the double-hung windows. On the one hand, window manufacturers submitted samples, on the other hand, "as a service" had not yet been set at the beginning of the tender. People like Gabriele Bühler (overall project manager at #Werkstadt) and Heike Kiefer (Co-Head of CoC Circular Economy at #SBB) make the difference here. Once again!

They have the ideas, the relationships and the freedom to get such points into tenders. And in construction!

At a relatively high speed.

The workshops were still used by SBB until 2016. Then came the vision, a master plan and so-called basic attitudes. This is about there being space for urban production, that the project sees itself as part of a circular economy and sustainable inner development. That a respectful treatment of the historical stock and, for example, dialogue are promised. What is impressive is that this becomes visible and tangible during the tour with and for the future expert. Here it is not just empty words. On the contrary.

Role models like Thomas Rau are mentioned and so-called material passports are introduced. Many decisions - for example around the former baths - are still open. Other areas will be converted until 2035.

Finally, a pioneering role is strived for and communicated transparently. That generates motivation. Is everything perfect and scalable? No, certainly not. But for Mathias Haas, this project impressively describes how changes in behaviour have an influence on the biggest projects, even in real big ships!

SBB owns 77 million tonnes of material, and of course the quantities reused here were just a start. But these prime examples of meaningful reduction are important - for future innovation.

Humanity needs light at the end of the tunnel. Large budgets (as here) can achieve even more with a different attitude, according to the clear opinion of speaker and consultant Mathias Haas. Or as the above-mentioned "architect with a mission" said: "Don't be less bad, be good!".

In this sense: See you in this future!

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