Picture : This scale model provides a glimpse of the future Smart Living Lab facility. As well as offering an open, evolutive workspace, the new building has impressive environmental and energy efficiency credentials. Construction work will begin in 2021.

When it comes to smart homes and buildings, the canton of Fribourg is leading the charge. This is due in no small part to the Smart Living Lab, an interdisciplinary research center based in the blueFACTORY innovation quarter since 2015. Through the combined expertise of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), one of the 10 best universities in the world, the Fribourg School of Engineering and Architecture (HEIA-FR), and the University of Fribourg (UniFR), its mission is to develop innovative ideas to ensure that the built environment of tomorrow is more energy-efficient, maximizes the welfare of its users and fully exploits the potential of digital transformation.

“We take a human-centered approach to all our research. The comfort, well-being and health of users are always at the forefront of everything we do”, notes Martin Gonzenbach, Director of Operations at the Smart Living Lab. No element of the building is left unattended, from the heating and ventilation systems to lighting, indoor air quality and architectural design. The ideal solution is a mix of high-tech and low-tech. “Full automation does not necessarily make for a cozy and comfortable home. To feel at ease in a building, users need to feel confident adjusting the settings of the different automation systems themselves. The psychological dimension is extremely important.”

Another core objective of this living laboratory is to harness the power of digital technologies to make buildings more energy-efficient and, in doing so, shrink their carbon footprint. As the Director of Operations explains, the Smart Living Lab passes on the technologies generated by its basic and applied research to local industry, “We work directly with Fribourg-based companies. They tell us what they need and road-test our discoveries.”

Real-world solutions

One recent example is the ‘Build-Unbuild-Repeat’ project, conducted by the Structural Xploration Lab and led by Assistant Professor Corentin Fivet (EPFL), “We wanted to come up with a waste reduction solution, so we began developing extremely robust load-bearing structures which can be reused over a period of at least 200 years and generate virtually zero maintenance costs. Once we had found a solution that worked on paper, we set about transforming it into an actionable solution that met the needs of the construction industry.” It was at this point the team asked the Institute of Construction and Environmental Technology (iTEC) of the HEIA-FR to come on board. As Dario Redaelli, a civil engineering specialist and professor at iTEC explain, “Our workshops add a more operational and practical focus to the project and make it possible to test out the ideas developed by the research team.”

Given that tech transfer is a key part of the Smart Living Lab’s mission, the team began their search for a private partner. With its detailed knowledge of every aspect of building project implementation and areas of expertise that cannot be found in a laboratory, JPF-Ducret was the ideal match. Thanks to feedback from the building company, the team was able to patent its system. Although there is no comparable solution on the market, the researchers continue to work on improving its unique system.

The Smart Living Lab is involved in a raft of projects like this. Another success story is ENOKI, a start-up which itself is an outgrowth of another Smart Living Lab success – the NeighborHub, which took first prize at the 2017 US Solar Decathlon, a prestigious international smart eco building competition. The winning team of some 50 students from the EPFL, the HEIA-FR, HEAD-Geneva and UniFR wowed the judges with their 200 m² solar-powered structure that functions as a home, collaborative community space and a showcase of innovative solutions. blueFACTORY is now home to NeighborHub.