New Centre for Digital Construction Technologies next to Tor Alva

A new centre for Digital Building Technologies is set to open in Mulegns, Switzerland. Developed by the Origen Foundation together with ETH Zurich’s Chair of Digital Building Technologies, the NCCR Digital Fabrication and industry partners, the centre will leverage research and projects to inform and teach visitors about sustainable and innovative construction technologies and processes.

Technology in Action

The centre will be a hub for researchers, industry professionals, and experts to share knowledge and experience. It will present projects, prototypes, and workshops using both physical and digital media. The hub will be a dynamic space for visitors to visit and explore and learn how digital tools, robotic production, and traditional craftsmanship are combined to shape modern building practices.

An exhibition at the Posthotel Löwe last summer gave an impression of what the Centre for Digital Construction Technologies will look like. Photo by Benjamin Hofer, Nova Fundaziun Origen

Hands on Research

The centre is scheduled to open in May 2025, and will feature a programme of courses, talks, and seminars to provide professionals, students and the public with direct training on innovative building methods. Exhibits of models, material samples, prototypes, and video or VR documentation of robotic equipment and facilities, the latest research projects, and our established demonstrators will be used to promote dialogue with all interested stakeholders.

DBT and NCCR DFAB

The Chair of Digital Building Technologies was founded as a part of the NCCR DFAB in 2016. The research of DBT has been strongly shaped by its engagement within DFAB and the DBT chair at ETH Zurich will be a lasting legacy of the NCCR. In recent years, DBT methods, material systems, and research have all developed significantly to produce projects such as the Tor Alva, the Cadenza staircase, marble waste 3Dprinting, and the HC3DP hollow core 3D printing method.

Once established, the Centre for Digital Construction Technologies in Mulegns will showcase and discuss the full range of collaborative work from DFAB, its spin-offs and with other partners. Programmes and exhibits will cover the full range of building systems, materials and technologies, with the goal of transferring this knowledge into the hands of practitioners and the public to encourage more sustainable and impactful construction for the future.