KREIS-Haus stands for Klima und Ressourcen-Effizientes Suffizienz Haus (English: climate and resource efficient sufficiency house). The project shows how a functioning circular economy can be implemented in the smallest of spaces. From the building materials to the nutrients in the wastewater – everything is in circulation.

The KREIS-Haus is a joint project of the research group Eco-technology at ZHAW and the Synergy Village association, which is the location of the KREIS-Haus. The research group leads the research and educational projects in the house. The Synergy Village association is the implementation partner and owner of the house. The association is responsible for the operation of the KREIS-Haus, supports the research work and welcomes visitors to the idyllic grounds.

In times of climate change and scarce natural resources, the building sector plays a very import role. 40% of worldwide resource and energy consumption can be attributed to the building sector. Therefore, there is great potential to implement measures to increase the efficiency of energy and resource consumption in buildings. This is where the KREIS-Haus project comes into play.

The scientific community is constantly developing new circular technologies, materials, and concepts for use in buildings. However, it takes a long time for this fundamental research to be applied broadly in practice. A reason for this is that there is often too great of a risk in using unproven innovations in practice. The KREIS-Haus fills this gap between research and industry, by providing a space to try out these new technologies and materials and presenting them to the public as an inhabited model house.

New innovations will be continually tested and improved through the interactions with visitors. By doing so, a climate and environmentally friendly lifestyle can be developed. Our goal is to enable for everyone to experience a climate-neutral, ecological, and sufficiency-orientated lifestyle.

Come discover the KREIS-Haus in one of the regularly offered public tours or register for an individually organized group tour. Through stimulating stories, you will learn more about the building materials and design.

Visitors have the opportunity to stay overnight in the KREIS-Haus and participate in the research project. All visitors will be asked to participate in a scientific survey after their stay.

Do you have your own building project and would like to benefit from our experiences in the KREIS-Haus? We would be happy to advise you for your individual building project. The insights made at the KREIS-Haus can be applied at many different levels of construction: from tiny houses to renovations and larger developments of entire neighborhoods. Contact us for an offer.

Follow the KREIS-Haus from home with our Live Webcam. Click here for a time-lapse of the construction and operation.