HiLo is the eighth experimental building module completed at the modular and perpetually metamorphosing NEST outside of Zurich. The site is used as a proving ground for construction and energy innovations developed by leading researchers. (Roman Keller)

The HiLo module at Zurich’s NEST pairs ancient building concepts with futuristic construction

NEST, an ever-evolving experimental structure that serves as a testbed for emerging construction and energy technologies, has gained its eighth and newest temporary building module. The eclectic agglomerate sits on the shared campus of Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) and Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology) in the Swiss municipality of Duebendorf, just outside of Zurich.

Dubbed HiLo (short for High Performance – Low Emissions), the two-story modular unit melds “medieval building principles with futuristic construction methods” per a press release, and is the result of nearly a…