NEST is planning a new STEP2 unit
At NEST, planning for a new unit is in full swing. Your name: STEP2. From 2022 onwards, it should accelerate marketable innovations in circular economy, manufacturing, building envelopes and energy systems.
A new unit will move into the Dübendorfer NEST , the research and innovation building of the Eidgenössischer Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt ( Empa ) and Eawag , the ETH Domain's water research institute. It bears the name STEP2 . According to a press release by Empa, two new floors are currently being planned on the existing NEST building for this innovation workshop.
These are as forward-facing as the NEST itself: a spiral staircase in the shape of a spinal column from 3D printing will connect the two new floors. A ribbed filigree ceiling requires around a third less material than a conventional one, and an efficient building envelope should ensure optimal comfort. Further information on these and other innovative construction details as well as regular information on the creation of the unit are available on the STEP2 website .
The project itself was initiated by BASF. Together with numerous other partners from science and industry, the STEP2 unit will work “purposefully” towards marketable, sustainable solutions for building envelopes, energy systems, digital and industrial production and the circular economy. “This interdisciplinary collaboration is intended to ensure that the leap onto the market can ultimately succeed as quickly as possible,” says Enrico Marchesi, Principal Innovation Manager at BASF, the main partner of the new unit.
The project team, according to the announcement, is currently completing the preliminary project. The planning of the construction should start at the beginning of 2021. Completion is planned for summer 2022.
