Grange-Collomb

Situation

The Grange-Collomb L1 building is part of a localized neighborhood plan, of which it is the second stage of development. The building offers 80 apartments ranging from 41/2 to 6 rooms on the former Batelle property.

Dedicated to scientific research from 1957 until recently, it offers an interesting area for development, in a pleasant setting.

The client, Geneva’s largest pension fund, is interested in good-sized properties that will enable it to concentrate its management efforts on free-rent apartments that stand out in terms of quality and typology.

Project

Construction and planning: a systematic approach. The design of the apartments, all of which are walk-through, is intended to promote transparency: they are highly glazed, allowing residents to enjoy a pleasant environment provided by the green setting that characterizes the site.

Generously dimensioned terraces and balconies further reinforce the desired strong relationship with the environment. In addition, given the limits imposed by the market on free-rent housing for the general public, the project was designed to be highly rationalized:

It has an impact on both apartment design and construction methods. As far as design is concerned, we note the effort made to structure technical paths in a rational way:

Not only are all kitchens and bathrooms identical, but they are also laid out in such a way as to facilitate their economical installation.

Similarly, the layout of the underfloor and radiator heating systems, the ventilation of sanitary facilities by roof-mounted motorized fans, and the electrical diagrams are designed with a constant eye to standardization, without neglecting quality aspects.

The in-situ reinforced concrete structures are complemented by heavy prefabricated load-bearing facades in sandwich elements with external cladding. This choice is the result of a search for systems that are efficient in their function, favourable to the overall economy of the project, and likely to contribute to the desired speed of completion.

The flat roof and terraces on the attic and ground floor are waterproofed using a two-layer system, while the upper slab of the garages has a waterproof asphalt coating.

Exterior landscaping essentially consists of bringing the site and the buildings into line with each other, while preserving the surrounding vegetation, in particular the many trees that have been identified.