A&A Liegenschaften and above all its founder, Thomas Kurer (Arch dipl. ETH SIA), has always invested heavily in the latest technologies and innovations and successfully applied them in practice.
The MEV1, a small car powered exclusively by solar energy, won first prize in the Tour de Sol in 1986. It was developed by Thomas Kurer, who was responsible for design and marketing, together with his team colleagues under the direction of Roger Burri. This laid the foundation for Swatch to develop the Smart.
This was followed by other innovative technologies such as Tactography, which uses 3D printing processes to make art visible (readable) to the naked eye.
While studying architecture at the ETH, he also took courses in information technology and electrical engineering and made the first CAD designs in 1972, plotted on Contraves devices. This was followed by the establishment of the School of Architecture, Landscape and Construction with the architect Constantinos A. Doxiadis in Athens. In 1976, as head of the Human Settlement Commission, Thomas Kurer developed the ‘What you get for 1 Peso’ project in Manila-Marikina, Philippines. This project already focussed on the sustainable development of newly founded settlements with the minimum possible use of financial resources. He carried out this project in collaboration with Professor Nicholas Negroponte, MIT-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, co-founder of the MIT Media Lab, then a leader in the field of CAD Computer Aided Design.
In the 1978 Misawa competition, Thomas Kurer worked intensively on the topic of solar energy and, together with the architects Basler&Hofmann, won first prize in the competition organised by the Misawa Homes Institute of Research and Development in Tokyo. This competition already focussed on the passive use of solar energy in houses, the first forerunners of today's Minergie houses.
With the help of 3D technology and in collaboration with the Belgian artist Peter Donders, various pieces of furniture and works of art were created.
During the construction of the EMIL-Nord small flats, which were occupied in 2022, the concept of a space-saving layout enabled the living space per person to be reduced by around 20% compared to the urban average. Thanks to these savings, it was possible to realise the many new innovative technologies in sustainability.
A&A Liegenschaften continues to invest significantly in improving construction technologies, actively promoting new technologies for sustainable agriculture in Serbia, digitalisation for property management and the development of art forms.
Later, in 2021, the world's first vertically shaded solar façade was put into operation in Zurich North as part of the new construction of Neunbrunnenstrasse 52. In this new building, intensive investments were also made in new sustainable technologies to save energy, conserve resources and protect the climate. In particular, high thermal insulation, SolarTrapTM loggias, effective summer sun protection, sophisticated heating and hot water technology with heat and cooling pumps, a large stratified heat storage tank for passive low-temperature underfloor heating and domestic hot water for the kitchen, which is also heated with excess solar energy via a heat pump, should be emphasised here, dishwasher and wet room with water-saving shower and cleverly economical toilet flushing, photovoltaics integrated into the façade and imperceptible on the roof, effective mechanical ventilation system with double heat and cold recovery for the winter. The building has an effective mechanical ventilation system with double heat and cold recovery for protection against the cold in winter and heat in summer, with the residual heat requirement being covered by district heating.