Hannes Pichler to succeed Daniel Bucheli as Director of Real Estate Management

In March 2017, Daniel Bucheli became the Director of ETH Zurich’s Real Estate Management department. Almost six years on, he is now looking back on a successful time of prolific planning and building. For instance, under his leadership, the foundations were laid for the continued development of the Hönggerberg, Zentrum and Schlieren campuses as well as the Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich in Dübendorf. In addition, he and his team initiated and realised various renovation, maintenance, development and interior construction projects. The BSS and GLC large-scale projects, for example, are nearing completion, amounting to 30,000m² of space for ETH in the future – that’s almost 6 percent of the portfolio.

A reorganisation and new budgeting guidelines

“Of course, my time as Director of the Real Estate Management department hasn’t been without its challenges,” Bucheli says. These included a reorganisation of the department in his first year at ETH: “This successful reorganisation allowed us, for example, to optimise processes and procedures, to strengthen our colleagues’ responsibility for the buildings and the projects and thus to improve collaboration with those using our properties – such as the departments – as well.”

In 2020, Bucheli faced another challenge: the Executive Board requested a large reduction in construction spending over the next ten years as part of the “revised requirements planning” scheme. “We quickly adjusted the ordering processes for construction services and achieved a high degree of transparency by introducing superordinate prioritisation, a measure highly appreciated by the Executive Board members involved,” Bucheli says, looking back on the process. “Further optimisation is needed, and the pressure to economise is very high, but we’re headed in the right direction,” he adds.

A successful pilot project

For Bucheli, one of the highlights of his time at ETH is the newly created work infrastructure at the Octavo building in Zurich Oerlikon. “We had thought about looking for a new location with open and modern workspaces following the end of the lease at the Kreuzplatz site. That idea developed into a pilot project for new VPIN and VPPL work environments – with an infrastructure that’s been met with great approval by the people working there,” Bucheli says.

Tireless efforts

Ulrich Weidmann, Vice President for Infrastructure at ETH Zurich, also appreciates Bucheli’s assuming such an extensive range of tasks and responsibilities at ETH: “Daniel Bucheli has led the Real Estate Management department with great commitment and tireless effort, helping to put a perfectly functioning, user-oriented and cost-efficient infrastructure in place at our university. He has been able to establish a constructive and trusting partnership with the departments, the central administrative units and the ETH Board. I would like to thank Daniel for all of these achievements, his collaboration and support, and wish him the best of luck and success in all his future endeavours.”

Successor from Empa

As of 1 February 2023, Hannes Pichler, the current head of Real Estate Management at Empa, will take over as the new Director of Real Estate Management at ETH Zurich. “We’re delighted to welcome such an experienced expert to our team. Due to his current role at Empa, where he is also in charge of the real estate of Eawag and WSL, Hannes Pichler is well versed in the real estate governance guidelines specific to the ETH Domain,” Weidmann says. “I look forward to working with him in the future and hope he has a successful start here at ETH Zurich.”

Until Hannes Pichler takes office on 1 February 2023, Ulrich Weidmann will serve as interim Director of Real Estate Management.