Renovation of Fohrbach indoor swimming pool, Zurich

The Fohrbach indoor swimming pool in Zurich is undergoing a comprehensive renovation, upgrading the facility both technically and energetically to meet today’s standards. Beyond performance improvements, the project also focuses on reducing embodied carbon in the building structure.

Together with KIBECO, Oxara supplies around 300 m³ of cement-free easily compactible Oulesse concrete. The material is used as filling concrete beneath the new floor systems and was pumped over a distance of more than 100 meters. While these layers may appear secondary, their impact at scale is substantial: this application alone results in savings of about 20 tons of CO₂.

Easily compactible concrete is characterised by its high flowability, which allows it to be installed without compaction energy as it spreads independently. In this project, Oulesse easily comapctible concrete serves as a levelling and base layer under the swimming pool. Filling concretes are not subject to high structural loads, but they do account for large quantities of material – and this is precisely where there is significant potential for CO₂ reduction.Using a cement-free, circular binder allows emissions to be reduced where material mass is highest, without compromising workability – even across long pumping distances.

Not every building element needs to be spectacular. But every element can be smarter.

Working on a project with large areas or infrastructure volumes? Let’s explore where embodied carbon can be reduced – without changing your design intent.

Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Date: 2026
Oxara Product: Oulesse®
Construction: Spleiss AG & Betonpumpen AG
Material production: KIBAG