Dr. Devi Bühler

Work at ZHAW

Position

Senior researcher and lecturer, Project leader

Focus

• Circular economy in the building and housing sector, Zero Emission Buildings, Integrated building design
• Greywater treatment and reuse, Biological wastewater treatment
• Decentralised, sustainable water management
• Acceptance and socio-economic aspects of eco-technologies

Education and Continuing education

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy, PhD / Bioscience Engineering: Environmental Sciences and Technology
  Ghent University
  10 / 2020 - 12 / 2025
• Master of Science ZFH / Natural Resource Science
  Zurich University of Applied Sciences
  09 / 2015 - 02 / 2018
• Bachelor of Science ZFH / Environmental Engineering
  Zurich University of Applied Sciences
  09 / 2010 - 09 / 2013
• Vocational baccalaureate with technical focus
  Gewerblich-Industrielle Berufsschule Uster
  10 / 2007 - 09 / 2009
• Swiss Federal Certificate of Competence / Druggist
  Allgemeine Berufsschule Zürich / training company
  08 / 2003 - 08 / 2007

Network

Membership of networks

• International Science Council - Global Roster of Experts
• International Water Association IWA - Member of the Management Committee Specialist Group on Resource-Oriented Sanitation
• Swiss Water Partnership
• Swiss Young Academy - Elected Member
• Swiss Association for Building Biology

Awards

• Zurich Future Prize
  Zurich Cantonal Parliament
  01 / 2025
• Sustainability Award for the achievements in KREIS-Haus
  ZHAW Institute of Natural Resource Sciences
  12 / 2021
• Svial Asiat Award for best grade in the master's program
  SVIAL
  06 / 2018
• SoE-Award for best grade in the technical vocational baccalaureate
  ZHAW School of Engineering
  09 / 2009

Social media

LinkedIn

Media presence

• Project KREIS-Haus
• Project LaundReCycle

Projects

• Recovery of Nutrients through Circular Local Approaches to Integrated Management of Urine / Project leader / ongoing
• The Blackwater Project in Cape Town / Project leader / ongoing
• The Low-Tech Water Project / Project leader / ongoing
• Integration of water and nutrient cycles in the renovation of a single-family detached home / Deputy project leader / ongoing
• Value Next – Transdisciplinary Research for a Circular Water Future / Deputy project leader / completed
• Micro-biogas plants in Switzerland: Analysis of performance, economic viability, and approval practices of a small-scale biogas system for tiny living concepts and applications in alpine regions under Swiss climate conditions / Project leader / completed
• Evaluation of methods for monitoring the quality of treated domestic grey water for water re-use / Deputy project leader / completed
• Casa Circolo – Direct recycling of greywater using the example of the KREIS-Haus / Project leader / completed
• Open Mind and Closed Cycles / Project leader / completed
• Living in the KREIS-Haus / Project leader / completed
• Ecological Engineering Living Lab: Insights into the lab of Ecological Engineering / Project leader / completed
• LaundReCycle South Africa / Project leader / completed
• Local Water Loop / Team member / completed

Publications

• Bühler, Devi; Barmettler, Regina; Junge, Ranka; Bozzola, Martina; Rousseau, Diederik P.L.,

  2025.

  Onsite greywater reuse in a low-tech solar-driven pilot laundry facility : field insights on performance, self-sufficiency, and user acceptance.

  Water Reuse.

  15(3), pp. 591-608.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.2166/wrd.2025.068

• Bühler, Devi; Barmettler, Regina; Schoenborn, Andreas; Junge, Ranka; Rousseau, Diederik P. L.,

  2025.

  Off-grid rainwater and greywater treatment and reuse on household level : conceptual approach and pilot operation at the KREIS-Haus demonstration case, Switzerland.

  Water Reuse.

  15(2), pp. 178-197.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.2166/wrd.2025.104

• Bühler, Devi; Vischer, Tabea; Junge, Ranka,

  2025.

  A circular design concept for implementing sustainable building practices in the KREIS-Haus living lab, Switzerland.

  Buildings.

  15(3), pp. 409.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15030409

• Zhang, Rui; Yang, Xuetong; Bühler, Devi; van Oirschot, Dion; Martens, Mireille; Van Hulle, Stijn W.H.; Rousseau, Diederik P.L.,

  2024.

  Pilot scale demonstration of an underground biological aerated filter for rural wastewater treatment in a protected area.

  Journal of Water Process Engineering.

  64(105603).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2024.105603

• Bühler, Devi; Antenen, Nadine; Frei, Matthias; Koller, Christoph; Rousseau, Diederik P. L.; Schönborn, Andreas; Junge, Ranka,

  2021.

  Towards water and energy self-sufficiency : a closed-loop, solar-driven, low-tech laundry pilot facility (LaundReCycle) for the reuse of laundry wastewater.

  Circular Economy and Sustainability.

  1(3), pp. 1037-1051.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43615-021-00077-2

• Dale, Glenn; Dotro, Gabriela; Srivastava, Puneet; Austin, David; Hutchinson, Stacy; Head, Peter; Goonetilleke, Ashanta; Stefanakis, Alexandros; Junge, Ranka; Fernandez, José A.; Weyer, Vanessa; Truter, Wayne; Bühler, Devi; Bennett, John; Liu, Hongbo; Li, Zifu; Du, Jianqiang; Schneider, Petra; Hack, Jochen; Schönborn, Andreas,

  2021.

  Education in ecological engineering : a need whose time has come.

  Circular Economy and Sustainability.

  1(1), pp. 333-373.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43615-021-00067-4

• Langergraber, Guenter; Pucher, Bernhard; Simperler, Lena; Kisser, Johannes; Katsou, Evina; Bühler, Devi; Mateo, Mari Carmen Garcia; Atanasova, Nataša,

  2020.

  Implementing nature-based solutions for creating a resourceful circular city.

  Blue-Green Systems.

  2(1), pp. 173-185.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.2166/bgs.2020.933

• Katsou, Evina; Nika, Chrysanthi-Elisabeth; Bühler, Devi; Marić, Bruno; Megyesi, Boldizsár; Mino, Eric; Babí Almenar, Javier; Bas, Bilge; Bećirović, Dženan; Bokal, Sabina; Đolić, Maja; Elginöz, Nilay; Kalnis, Gregoris; Mateo, Mari-Carmen Garcia; Milousi, Maria; Mousavi, Alireza; Rinčić, Iva; Rizzo, Agatino; Rodriguez-Roda, Ignasi; Rugani, Benedetto; Šalaševičienė, Alvija; Sari, Ramazan; Stanchev, Peyo; Topuz, Emel; Atanasova, Natasa,

  2020.

  Transformation tools enabling the implementation of nature-based solutions for creating a resourceful circular city.

  Blue-Green Systems.

  2(1), pp. 186-211.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.2166/bgs.2020.929

• Bühler, Devi; Junge, Ranka,

  2016.

  Global trends and current status of commercial urban rooftop farming.

  Sustainability.

  8(11), pp. 1108.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/su8111108

• Bühler, Devi,

  2025.

  Towards off-grid self-sufficiency : technical and socio-economic evaluation of a circular water system based on greywater reuse.

  Ghent University.

  ISBN 978-94-6357-944-5.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-34840

• Bühler, Devi; Schamoni, Wilfriede Renate,

  2023.

  Energieeffizientes Bauen und Sanieren.

  Augsburg:

  WEKA MEDIA GmbH & Co.

  ISBN 978-3-8111-5115-4.

• Bühler, Devi; Lüthi, Laila; Rousseau, Diederik P. L.; Aubert, Alice; Bozzola, Martina,

  2025.

  Drivers for the adoption of circular water systems at the building level in a high-income context[paper].

  In:

  13th IEES International Conference "Closed Cycles and the Circular Society – The Power of Ecological Engineering", Reykjavik, Iceland, 16-18 July 2025.

• Bühler, Devi; Barmettler, Regina; Schönborn, Andreas; Junge, Ranka; Rousseau, Diederik P. L.,

  2025.

  Off-grid water treatment and reuse of rain- and greywater on household level : pilot operation at the example of KREIS-Haus, Switzerland[paper].

  In:

  14th IWA International Conference on Water Reclamation & Reuse, Cape Town, South Africa, 16-19 March 2025.

• Lüthi, Laila; Bühler, Devi,

  2025.

  Assessing the impact of experiencing an ecological building on user acceptance and behavioral intentions : insights from the KREIS-Haus living lab[poster].

  In:

  13th IEES International Conference "Closed Cycles and the Circular Society – The Power of Ecological Engineering", Reykjavik, Iceland, 16-18 July 2025.

  ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-34068

• Bühler, Devi; Barmettler, Regina; Junge, Ranka; Bozzola, Martina; Rousseau, Diederik P.L.,

  2024.

  Performance, optimization, socio-economic acceptance, and drivers of a low-tech solar-driven pilot laundry facility (LaundReCycle) in South Africa[paper].

  In:

  IWA 17th SSWS and 9th ROS.

  17th IWA Conference on Small Water and Wastewater Systems (SWWS) and 9th IWA Conference on Resource Oriented Sanitation (ROS), Paraná, Brazil, 10–14 November 2024.

  Rio de Janeiro:

  ABES - Associação Brasileira de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-32660

• Lüthi, Laila; Bühler, Devi,

  2023.

  Evaluation of a low-tech, passively solar-driven pilot plant : nutrients recovery from source-separated urine on household level[poster].

  In:

  6th IWA International Conference on Eco-Technologies for Wastewater Treatment, Girona, Spain, 26-29 June 2023.

  ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-34540

• Bühler, Devi; Junge, Ranka; Rousseau, Diederik,

  2023.

  Towards water self-sufficiency : pilot operation of an off-grid water cycle based on rainwater harvesting and low-tech, biological greywater treatment in an inhabited demonstration house in Switzerland (KREIS-Haus)[paper].

  In:

  6th IWA International Conference on Eco-Technologies for Wastewater Treatment, Girona, Spain, 26-29 June 2023.

  International Water Association.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-28826

• Bühler, Devi; Schuetze, Thorsten; Junge, Ranka,

  2015.

  Towards development of a label for zero emission buildings : a tool to evaluate potential zero emission buildings[paper].

  In:

  Rosen, Marc A., ed.,

  Special Issue "Towards Sustainability: Selected Papers from the Fourth World Sustainability Forum (2014)".

  The 4th World Sustainability Forum, Electronic Conference at sciforum.net/conference/wsf-4, 1-30 November 2014.

  MDPI.

  pp. 5071-5093.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/su7055071

• Bühler, Devi; Junge, Ranka; Schütze, Thorsten,

  2014.

  Towards development of a label for zero emission buildings : a tool to evaluate potential zero emission buildings[paper].

  In:

  Proceedings of the 4th world sustainability forum.

  The 4th World Sustainability Forum, Electronic Conference at sciforum.net/conference/wsf-4, 1-30 November 2014.

  MDPI.

  Sciforum Electronic Conference Series ; 4.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/wsf-4-a001

• Senft, Emmanuel; Kessler, Sabrina H.; Delgado, Pamela; Bühler, Devi; Bovet, Alexandre,

  2025.

  Impact of AI on early career researchers : challenges, opportunities and responsibilities.

  Bern:

  Swiss Young Academy.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-34837

• Bühler, Devi; Barmettler, Regina,

  2023.

  LaundReCycle : a water- and energy self-sufficient laundromat.

  Wädenswil:

  ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-28581

• Bühler, Devi; Lüthi, Laila; Jenny, Annette,

  2023.

  KREIS-Haus : Schlussbericht Projektphase 2021 - 2022.

  Wädenswil:

  ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-27805

• Bühler, Devi,

  2023.

  Grossmarkt Grossstadt.

  Modulør.

  16(1), pp. 34-39.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-27263

• Bühler, Devi,

  2022.

  Ecological Engineering Living Lab.

  TRANSFER Special.

  2022(2), pp. 9.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-25948

• Bühler, Devi,

  2022.

  Ökotechnologie Living Lab.

  TRANSFER Spezial.

  2022(2), pp. 9.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-25947

• Bühler, Devi,

  2022.

  Baubranche : wieso die Klimasünderin umdenken muss.

  higgs.

  Available from: https://www.higgs.ch/baubranche-wieso-die-klimasuenderin-umdenken-muss/50357/

• Bühler, Devi,

  2022.

  Design challenge - Sight Unseen: Depicting Climate Change in the Light of Human Rights.

  Swiss Young Academy.

  Available from: https://swissyoungacademy.ch/youngacademy_de/gemeinsame-projekte/the-future-of-human-rights/design-challenge-sight-unseen-depicting-climate-change-in-the-light-of-human-rights

• Bühler, Devi; Schönborn, Andreas,

  2021.

  Das KREIS-Haus : die grosse Kreislaufvision im Miniformat.

  Transfer.

  2021(2), pp. 12.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-24755

• Bühler, Devi,

  2020.

  Urban Mining und Urban Farming im Haus der Zukunft.

  Baubiologie.

  Available from: https://www.baubio.ch/artikel-beitrage/urban-mining-und-urban-farming-im-haus-der-zukunft

• Bühler, Devi; Antenen, Nadine,

  2020.

  Waschen für die Wissenschaft.

  IUNR Magazin.

  2020(1), pp. 14-15.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-19919

• Bühler, Devi; Antenen, Nadine; Frei, Matthias; Krähenbühl, Nikita; Barmettler, Regina; Schönborn, Andreas; Brändle, Till; Balducci, Andrea; Mezek, Katjuša; Zybach, Christa; Bleuler, Mira; Junge, Ranka,

  2020.

  Local Water Loop : Vorstudie für einen energie- und wasserautarken Waschmaschinenbetrieb.

  Wädenswil:

  ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-28824

• Bühler, Devi; Junge, Ranka,

  2018.

  Ein Technologiekonzept für multi-funktionale Fassaden.

  Wädenswil:

  ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-27655

• Bühler, Devi; Antenen, Nadine; Frei, Matthias; Koller, Christoph; Junge, Ranka,

  2020.

  Towards water and energy self-sufficiency : a closed-loop, low-tech laundry pilot facility (LaundReCycle) for the reuse of laundry wastewater.

  In:

  Closed Cycles and the Circular Society : The Power of Ecological Engineering, Online, 2-4 September 2020.

  Available from: https://closedcycles2020.ch

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