HiLo unit at NEST

NEST (Next Evolution in Sustainable Building Technologies) is the modular research and innovation building of the two Swiss research institutions Empa and Eawag and is located on the Empa campus in Dübendorf. The NEST platform closes the gap between the research laboratory and the market and allows new sustainable solutions to find applications in the construction industry. The unit HiLo on the top of the NEST building demonstrates how attractive architecture can be when combining energy- and resource-saving construction and operation.

This unit has an office with a fully glazed façade with Solskin (previously called Adaptive Solar Façade) with 30 thin-film PV panels. The panels are constantly optimizing their position to either maximize the PV output or to adapt to the occupants' needs. This version of the Solskin façade has an individual panel control system where different functions can be selected, such as move to East, move to West, open, close, and auto mode.