瑞士百达集团
New Pictet building in Geneva: building permit granted, three Platinium certifications and regeneration of the site
The Pictet Group announces it has received permission from the relevant authorities to build its new building in Geneva. “The Campus Pictet de Rochemont”, located in Carouge, will provide 2,500 workplaces and nearly 100 residential units. Work is due to be completed in 2025. The building will meet the highest quality standards and restore a natural ecosystem in this urban setting.
The Campus Pictet de Rochemont is one of the most emblematic buildings of the Praille-Acacias-Vernets (PAV) urban development project. The building is intended to set an environmental benchmark through its design, energy consumption and accessibility. There will also be a strong emphasis on soft mobility.
The Pictet Group's ambition is to achieve Platinium rating for the new building, the highest level of SNBS, LEED and WELL certification possible. Each of the certifications is awarded in a specific field: sustainability and economic viability for SNBS (a Swiss certification), environmental and energy protection for LEED and an assessment of occupant well-being for WELL – both of which are internationally recognised. The award of a Platinium rating for each of the three certifications would ensure the Campus Pictet de Rochemont is one of the first buildings in Switzerland to meet these standards and one of the most environmentally conscious buildings in Europe.
The rating process will take into account 400 criteria, including the production of renewable energy, energy and water consumption, the use of environmentally friendly materials and the recycling of the used material. The process will also consider the project’s emphasis on soft mobility, the high proportion of local companies involved in constructing and managing the building, the efforts to create new open spaces and the biodiversity they promote.
The Campus Pictet de Rochemont is the first stage of our ambitious project for the Etoile PAV neighbourhood and its public spaces. We particularly welcome the Pictet Group's commitment to creating high-quality green spaces that will be open to the public in the area adjoining the new building. The Campus Pictet de Rochemont is the first part of the Espaces Rivières project, which will create 80,000 m2 of green space in the heart of PAV neighbourhood as a result of daylighting the Aire and Drize rivers.
In partnership with the Canton of Geneva and the Ville de Carouge, the Campus Pictet de Rochemont project seeks to achieve the natural regeneration of this highly urbanised neighbourhood by creating new pedestrianised green spaces that foster biodiversity as well as a park that will be open to the public. The appeal of the area will be enhanced further by daylighting a section of the Drize river.
Given the challenges linked to climate change, especially in densely populated urban settings, quality public spaces are essential. Open spaces and soil permeability, vegetation, soft mobility corridors, water features, are crucial to ensuring residents’ well-being, but also for developments on this scale to be accepted.” She added, "A constructive dialogue was established at the very start of the project. It included integrating financing mechanisms for future public spaces into the planning instruments. This enabled very fruitful cooperation between the municipality and the Pictet Group as well as with the cantonal authorities.
The quadrangle, with a 66,500 m2 footprint, is designed by Geneva-based architecture firm dl-a, designlab architecture and will include a large, semi-public auditorium which will host external conferences and cultural events.
It was the Campus Pictet de Rochemont that crystallised matters for the Praille-Acacias-Vernets Foundation when it granted the first planning rights. In doing so, and I consider this to be an integral part of our remit, we have been able to act as genuine a partner by facilitating land issues and negotiating with the various parties to the project.
The task of realising the construction of the Campus Pictet de Rochemont has been entrusted to HRS, a Swiss general contractor.
