Les Vergers B7-B8-B9

Situation

To accommodate nearly three thousand new residents, the municipality wanted to turn this new development into an exemplary eco-district, based on the three pillars of sustainable development: social solidarity, environmental responsibility and economic efficiency. The buildings designated B7, B8 and B9 are part of this project.

Program

Rental and sale. The first two buildings, B7 and B8, with sixty apartments between them, are intended for rental. They range in size from studios to six-bedrooms, and include business premises in a development zone. Building B9 is for sale. It offers forty four- to six-room apartments in development zones. A crèche will complete the project.

Project

Eco as in ecological. Sustainability and energy conservation are fundamental principles of the eco-district. The three buildings are fully compliant, with their roofs equipped with photovoltaic panels, the production of which will be sold to Geneva’s industrial services. A heat pump, connected to the district heating system, provides low-temperature underfloor heating. A single-flow ventilation system provides ventilation for the apartments, which are insulated by prefabricated sandwich-concrete facades. All these measures have earned the project the Minergie A label.

Challenges and strengths

Race against the clock. The biggest challenge affected building B7, which had to be completed in twelve months, with work starting in October 2015 for delivery the following October.

Realization

Meticulous. The buildings are built in concrete, with prefabricated facades. The quality of the interior fittings is high, with glued parquet flooring in the living areas and tiled floors in the kitchens and bathrooms.

Exterior landscaping. To ensure the homogeneity of the eco-neighborhood, the municipality of Meyrin has decided to take charge of the external landscaping. The public spaces will help to integrate the district, harmonizing the diversity of buildings and populations. All the owner of the three-building project had to do was plan the immediate surroundings, allowing the ground-floor apartments to benefit from level exits.