Agroscope

The first phase, carried out between 2012 and 2018, saw the construction of a new laboratory and office building (9,000 square meters of floor space), followed by the construction of ten greenhouses and their “rempotoire” (plant preparation building).

The second phase of the project, which is now drawing to a close, involved the construction of nine research greenhouses. Architecturally, these greenhouses were to be in keeping with the exterior rendering of those erected in the previous phase, but the operating concepts were to be different, especially for one of them. It had to be able to be operated in accordance with the principles of bio safety 2, a biosafety level that ensures the necessary containment precautions to isolate dangerous biological agents in a laboratory. In addition to the greenhouses, this stage was to finalize the construction of all the green spaces.

Quite conventionally, the greenhouses required the installation of a one-metre concrete veil, topped with a metal framework and glazing. The interior is coated with a water-washable paint to ensure the maintenance and neutrality of the installations when they change use.

Specific installations linked to a particular operation allow control of brightness and even the type of light. Temperature and humidity are also precisely controlled. All these technical elements are necessary to simulate different climatic conditions depending on the type of research.

On the outside, the creation of fill soil, which was necessary to enable plant cultivation, required special precautions. This is because the areas intended for cultivation have to respect well-defined superimposed layers of soil. The first, known as the A horizon, is the top layer of soil, rich in humus and living organisms, and well colonized by roots. It generally corresponds to the ploughing depth. The second, the B horizon, is the layer useful for rooting, water reserve and nutrients essential for fertility. It is also the layer that contains visible traces of biological activity, such as roots and earthworm galleries.