Research, teaching, and practice are directly interlinked, with the aim of testing research findings within the project itself and making a tangible contribution to the fields of construction in existing buildings and adaptive reuse. These insights are intended to be transferable to other projects and buildings.
The LLHIL was initiated by Professor Matthias Kohler in the Department of Architecture and Hannes Pichler, Director of Real Estate Management at ETH Zurich, with the involvement of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering D-BAUG. The project is coordinated and developed by the internal LLHIL planning team.
EVENTS & NEWS
From façade to laboratory
An original HIL facade element is currently being tested in the laboratory. The investigations provide insights for the future retrofit of the facade.
Completion of the Context(s) HIL Master Thesis
Approximately 150 master thesis projects explore conceptual and design approaches for transforming the HIL building.
Master’s theses exhibition
Sat 23.5.2026 – Fri 26.6.2026, HIL Campus Hönggerberg, Foyers D und E
INPUT PROJECTS
The HIL building project will serve research and teaching purposes over a period of three years. It aims to develop new approaches to planning, construction, and use, by leveraging interdisciplinary collaboration between ETH professors and their students and researchers, as well as with specialist departments at ETH and partners from the construction industry.
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Master Context(s) HIL
During the Spring Semester of 2026, all architecture students will address the shared context of the HIL in their Master's theses, selecting one of fourteen topics formulated by individual design chairs from their own perspectives.
Prof. Dr. Tom Avermaete, Prof. Roger Boltshauser, Prof. Adam Caruso, Prof. François Charbonnet, Prof. Adrien Comte, Prof. Jan De Vylder, Prof. Dr. Guillaume Habert, Prof. Patrick Heiz, Prof. Mariam Issoufou Mahamadou, Prof. Momoyo Kaijima, Prof. Dr. Silke Langenberg, Prof. Dr. Max Maurer, Prof. Débora Mesa Molina, Prof. Adrien Meuwly, Prof. Dr. Elli Mosayebi, Prof. Freek Persyn, Prof. Dr. Anna Puigjaner, Prof. Dr. Arno Schlüter, Prof. Dr. Laurent Stalder, Prof. Andreas Taras, Prof. Martina Voser -
Project Office HIL D 24.1
The project office of the Living Lab HIL creates a space that can be used flexibly during the duration of the project — and by exposing the ceiling and floor, it makes the building’s structural framework visible as part of the experiment.
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Building Component Catalogue
The component catalogue records the building components of the HIL in digital form and classifies them in terms of material and architectural history. In this way, it creates a lasting foundation for the sustainable further development of the building stock.
Prof. Dr. Silke Langenberg -
The Campus as a Living Ecosystem
The Hönggerberg campus is being developed into a connected, climate-resilient and vibrant place for learning and research – supported by innovative water management, new habitats, and high-quality open spaces.
Prof. Dr. Max Maurer, Prof. Martina Voser -
Prototypical roof construction
In spring 2026, students of the MAS ETH DFAB will develop a wooden roof structure as a prototype for the future extension of the HIL building.
Prof. Andrea Frangi, Prof. Fabio Gramazio, Prof. Matthias Kohler, Prof. Andreas Taras, Prof. Martina Voser -
Master of Integrated Building Systems I and II
Using the HIL building as a case study, students will explore how comfort, climate, and energy consumption interact, and develop alternative solutions for the buildings of tomorrow.
Prof. Dr. Arno Schlüter
