Together instead of alone - this is how all generations wash with BICONT in the WohnenPlus housing estate

22.11.2021

80 apartments in five buildings, 160 people of all ages - and a single laundry room. You won't find one in the basement of the WohnenPlus housing development in Richterswil. In the multigenerational housing development, laundry is done right next to the cozy common room with a view over Lake Zurich. And they do it with "BICONT," the tried-and-tested cashless card system that enables uncomplicated billing for each wash cycle. The tenants of WohnenPlus can not only wash at any time, but also independently load their personal washing cards with credit - directly in the laundry room at the recharging device.

In conversation

Andrina Ammann and Jana Hrvolova from administration and settlement assistance tell how the communal laundry room became a meeting place, why tenants don't even miss having their own machines, and how their daily routine in administration has been simplified with the BICONT billing solution.

Jana Hrvolova as settlement assistant is the first point of contact for tenants at WohnenPlus and supports them, among other things, with questions about washing.

Andrina Ammann regulates as a property manager everything administrative in the background and so takes care of, among other things, lost cards or tariff changes.

The new cooperative housing estate has been christened "WohnenPlus" - what's the deal with the "Plus"?

Andrina We are often confused with a retirement community, but it is not. The "plus" stands for the very good infrastructure that our tenants have at their disposal: We have a kindergi, daycare, fitness, recreation rooms and workshop. Wohnenplus was deliberately planned as a multigenerational development. "Together instead of lonely" is our motto - and it is lived.

Jana You can spend your whole life here. You just change the apartment in the course of life, which are all very accessible. It's all possible and very nice."

You look in vain for the laundry room here in the basement - how did it come about?

Jana Exactly that was my biggest surprise when I saw the laundromat for the first time. You expect it underground, in the basement - but here everything is bright, right by the entrance very centrally located. People can wash here, drink coffee, go outside.

Andrina The laundry room was intended as a meeting place, because it is deliberately located at this central point. You therefore have a laundry room for all buildings only here.

Don't people complain because the apartments don't have their own washing machines and the communal laundry room is always occupied?

Andrina At the beginning people were critical, but no one ever complained about it again, because you can wash 24/7 - without a washing calendar. The machines are never all occupied - the tenants are very well attuned.

Jana We have no wash calendars - and no complaints either. Families in particular extremely appreciate the fact that they can run three machines in parallel and finish so quickly. That's a huge advantage for them compared to having their own machine in the apartment. So they no longer need half a day to do all the laundry.

It is a very straightforward system. Especially if cards are lost, you can replace them very easily.

Andrina Ammann, Real Estate Manager

Best thanks for the nice interview to

Jana Hrvolova is the first contact person for the tenants in WohnenPlus as settlement assistant and supports them, among other things, with questions about washing.

Andrina Ammann regulates as a property manager everything administrative in the background and so takes care of, among other things, lost cards or tariff changes.