Education Oeschberg horticultural school receives new greenhouse

The foundation stone for the new greenhouse at the Oeschberg Horticultural School in Koppigen was laid on Wednesday. Facilities for plant production, a flower store, a covered exhibition area as well as training and technical rooms will be created, as the canton announced.

The new building will consist of a two-storey timber construction and the greenhouses, as the canton wrote in a press release on Wednesday. The head-end building will be built in accordance with Minergie-P-Eco and therefore meets the highest ecological standards

The head-end building will house the flower store and the covered training area, a floristry studio, offices and training rooms as well as the technical rooms, the statement added. The greenhouses will primarily be used for training in plant production.

"The canton of Bern is thus investing in education. At the same time, it is also making an important contribution to strengthening the local economy and promoting sustainable practices in horticulture," cantonal Director of Construction and Transport Christoph Neuhaus was quoted as saying.

The costs amount to 17 million Swiss francs. The new building should be ready for occupancy in the third quarter of 2025.

According to the canton, the Oeschberg Horticultural School is the most important educational institution in the field of horticulture, landscaping, plant production and floristry in Switzerland. However, the current facility no longer meets the requirements for modern, practice-oriented training.