Procter & Gamble

Situation

This operation will involve increasing the number of employees from 220 at the beginning of 1999 to 1,400 by the end of 2000, mainly by relocating staff from London, Frankfurt and Brussels to the City of Calvin.

Having become the owner of the former SBS center in Petit-Lancy, P&G set itself the goal of bringing these staff together there, as well as adding the services occupied in its Geneva building.

After an initial phase of office fit-out designed to deal with the most pressing needs, Procter & Gamble defined an ambitious building adaptation program, based on the planned rapid development of the new structures in Geneva.

Program

Adapting the building’s image to that of the company. Apart from the needs expressed in terms of operation and structural organization, the client’s aim was to give the building an image in keeping with that of the company itself.

The program thus defines the search for unifying architectural elements, capable of translating the company’s spirit through an architecture with a distinctive character.

The operation of the premises in their new assignments is aimed at transparency and direct communication:

open-plan offices and small meeting rooms.

A conference center is planned for level 1, and the technical facilities have been redesigned to meet the new operational requirements.

Various upgrades are also planned to bring the building into line with the Company’s own technical standards, including seismic resistance.

Project

Strong character and unifying measures. The building envelope was completely redesigned, and the original façades, with their adjustable aluminum louvers, were removed.

The building is now clad in a double skin of glass, offering the advantages of excellent energy efficiency and the modern, dynamic expression called for by the program.

The structures, reinforced by the adoption of steel tie-rods, are complemented by façades built using the “post-and-beam” system in aluminum. The most striking feature of the project is the atrium, entirely glazed from top to bottom.

This construction creates a large, transparent volume that clearly expresses the desire to unite the floors and corridors, while at the same time creating a highly distinctive entrance, capable of unequivocally underlining the character of the building.

A footbridge linking the administration building to the cafeteria completes this impressive layout, highlighted by the use of noble materials such as green Brazilian slate for the flooring and natural Alizier for the wall cladding.

Work areas also meet exacting standards: false technical floors and metal ceilings are the norm, offering the greatest possible flexibility in layout and organization.

The option chosen for the facades logically implies the installation of an MCR system to which the cooling and heating systems are controlled.

In addition to the air-conditioning system, the electrical power supply and distribution systems, both high and low voltage, were completely rebuilt. Similarly, the new layout of the building required the installation of fire protection using fire curtains in the atrium and sprinkler systems, so that each level could be isolated in the event of a fire.

The entire project, which took just one year to complete, was carried out in parallel with the building’s operation, as the various sectors were gradually brought into service.

This testifies to the high level of technical expertise and commitment shown by those responsible for execution, in collaboration with a demanding and professional customer in the field of architecture and construction.