Einsiedlerhof site development: A new administration center and parish home for Einsiedeln
March 11, 2022
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In addition to an administrative center for the Einsiedeln district (which includes a music school and a library), a new parish home as well as a private residential and commercial building are planned for the almost 5,000-square-meter Einsiedlerhof site. The total investment cost of the district and parish amounts to around 29 million Swiss francs.
In November 2021, Einsiedeln district voters gave the green light for the construction of the Einsiedlerhof administration center with a majority vote of 65 percent. However, Wüest Partner’s collaboration with the stakeholders started much earlier, at the beginning of 2018.
Architectural competition with sole contractor offer
The first assignment consisted of organizing and conducting an overall performance competition in compliance with public procurement requirements. The support process included the following tasks, among others:
Preparation
- Support and advice during the selection of the competition procedure and the set-up of the judging panel
- Assistance and preparation of the competition tender (including the room program)
Implementation
- Organization and management of the prequalification
- Guidance and support during the appeal process
- Management of the competition secretariat, including communication between the awarding authority, participants, jury, and experts
- Coordination of questions and answers
- Preliminary examination of the submitted entries
- Organization and management of the judging process
- Conducting a technical review of the bid
- Writing the final report
Follow-up
- Consultation and support when communicating the competition results
- Guidance initializing the next steps
The winner of the competition was the bidding consortium “halterpool”, consisting of Halter AG (Lead) and Zurich-based architects pool Architekten. Their project, “TRIAS”, comprises three buildings: an administration center, parish home, and residential and commercial building. It also includes a joint underground parking garage providing around 80 public parking spaces.
Building owner consultation
After the competition and in the run-up to the voting process, Wüest Partner was commissioned to accompany the district and the parish of Einsiedeln as independent client consultants in the further development of the project. Our tasks as consultants included incorporating the individual needs of the clients into the project design, supporting the drafting of the complex set of contracts (two total contractor lump-sum contracts, purchase agreements, easement agreements, etc.), and providing the client with expert support in negotiating the contractor offer with Halter AG. An accomplished specialist lawyer was called in for the legal issues and the drafting of the contracts. After the contracts were signed in summer 2021, we supported both clients in the run-up to the necessary votes in the district and in the parish.
We are very pleased to be able to continue to support the Einsiedeln district as independent building consultants until the completion of the buildings, which is scheduled for 2025.