Site
Located northeast of Geneva, the site benefits from rich natural biodiversity shaped by the nearby Arve and Rhône rivers. The school established its Lullier campus in 1974 within a new building complex designed by architects Alfred Damay and Michel Frey, alongside landscape architect Walter Brugger, who designed the surrounding parkland.
Urban & Landscape Integration
The extension aims to elevate the urban and landscape qualities of the site while celebrating the Lullier Horticultural Center. Seamless integration ensures harmony with the natural environment and preserves existing landscape features. The proposed extension aligns strictly with the structural grid of the original buildings and campus master plan.
In accordance with the brief, outdoor parking spaces have been reduced, clarifying vehicular access through revised traffic flows and restricted access zones. Dedicated bicycle parking and 50 new spaces are positioned near the main northwest entrance. Reclaimed surface parking areas are converted into green space, strengthening ecological continuity and reinforcing site-wide biodiversity.
Built Heritage
The extension prioritizes the preservation of the built heritage and the ecological value of nearby nature reserves. The proposal respects the architectural language and character of the original structures while introducing a modern expression through sustainable materiality.
Functionality & Spatial Concept
The design complies fully with programmatic requirements and local building codes regarding setbacks and height limits. Designed to operate independently from adjacent buildings, the extension delivers optimal working, learning, and visiting conditions.
Central to the proposal is promoting exchange, synergy, and dialogue between students of the two institutions: CFPne and HEPIA. At the heart of the extension sits a shared programmatic core—a central library conceived as a collaborative hub. Positioned centrally, the library receives zenithal daylight and offers cross-sectional views across floor plates, fostering visual interaction between different academic sectors.
Programmatic Distribution
Housed within a clean geometric volume that adheres to the structural grid of the Lullier Center, the program is organized logically by floor level:
Ground Floor: Occupied by HEPIA, featuring higher ceiling clearances and larger classrooms.
First Floor: Accommodates the shared programmatic core (library and collaborative spaces), providing a central transition zone between the two institutions.
Second Floor: Dedicated to CFPne academic facilities.
Classrooms line the perimeter to optimize natural daylighting, views, and cross-ventilation. Vertical circulation is resolved through a central helical staircase and elevator, offering direct and independent access to each programmatic zone.
Public Forecourt
An 18-meter-wide public forecourt between the new extension and the existing complex creates a vibrant civic gathering space. A full-length canopy along the extension façade provides weather-protected access between new and existing building entrances. The forecourt functions as a central campus hub, accommodating a cafeteria terrace and main entrance routes.
Structure, Façade & Materiality
The extension employs a hybrid timber-concrete structural system. Structural logic and architectural rhythm derive from expressed assembly principles, prioritizing low-tech, material-efficient construction where load-bearing elements remain exposed to generate spatial richness.
Structural efficiency and sustainability govern the design typology. Rigorous framing minimizes material consumption while optimizing performance. The roof accommodates a 67 m² photovoltaic installation alongside biodiverse green roofing.
Timber construction significantly accelerates the construction schedule. As a cladding material, aluminum foam reinterprets the texture of the original 1970s exposed-aggregate concrete panels into a modern, high-tech envelope that is significantly lighter than stone or concrete.
The existing Lullier Horticultural Center exhibits a 1970s Brutalist aesthetic defined by prefabrication, exposed structural framing, and washed concrete. The extension respects this heritage while introducing contemporary environmental performance and efficiency. Aluminum foam acts as a technological evolution of the historic concrete texture, maintaining a respectful dialogue with the architectural legacy.
Located northeast of Geneva, the site benefits from rich natural biodiversity shaped by the nearby Arve and Rhône rivers. The school established its Lullier campus in 1974 within a new building complex designed by architects Alfred Damay and Michel Frey, alongside landscape architect Walter Brugger, who designed the surrounding parkland.
Urban & Landscape Integration
The extension aims to elevate the urban and landscape qualities of the site while celebrating the Lullier Horticultural Center. Seamless integration ensures harmony with the natural environment and preserves existing landscape features. The proposed extension aligns strictly with the structural grid of the original buildings and campus master plan.
In accordance with the brief, outdoor parking spaces have been reduced, clarifying vehicular access through revised traffic flows and restricted access zones. Dedicated bicycle parking and 50 new spaces are positioned near the main northwest entrance. Reclaimed surface parking areas are converted into green space, strengthening ecological continuity and reinforcing site-wide biodiversity.
Built Heritage
The extension prioritizes the preservation of the built heritage and the ecological value of nearby nature reserves. The proposal respects the architectural language and character of the original structures while introducing a modern expression through sustainable materiality.
Functionality & Spatial Concept
The design complies fully with programmatic requirements and local building codes regarding setbacks and height limits. Designed to operate independently from adjacent buildings, the extension delivers optimal working, learning, and visiting conditions.
Central to the proposal is promoting exchange, synergy, and dialogue between students of the two institutions: CFPne and HEPIA. At the heart of the extension sits a shared programmatic core—a central library conceived as a collaborative hub. Positioned centrally, the library receives zenithal daylight and offers cross-sectional views across floor plates, fostering visual interaction between different academic sectors.
Programmatic Distribution
Housed within a clean geometric volume that adheres to the structural grid of the Lullier Center, the program is organized logically by floor level:
Ground Floor: Occupied by HEPIA, featuring higher ceiling clearances and larger classrooms.
First Floor: Accommodates the shared programmatic core (library and collaborative spaces), providing a central transition zone between the two institutions.
Second Floor: Dedicated to CFPne academic facilities.
Classrooms line the perimeter to optimize natural daylighting, views, and cross-ventilation. Vertical circulation is resolved through a central helical staircase and elevator, offering direct and independent access to each programmatic zone.
Public Forecourt
An 18-meter-wide public forecourt between the new extension and the existing complex creates a vibrant civic gathering space. A full-length canopy along the extension façade provides weather-protected access between new and existing building entrances. The forecourt functions as a central campus hub, accommodating a cafeteria terrace and main entrance routes.
Structure, Façade & Materiality
The extension employs a hybrid timber-concrete structural system. Structural logic and architectural rhythm derive from expressed assembly principles, prioritizing low-tech, material-efficient construction where load-bearing elements remain exposed to generate spatial richness.
Structural efficiency and sustainability govern the design typology. Rigorous framing minimizes material consumption while optimizing performance. The roof accommodates a 67 m² photovoltaic installation alongside biodiverse green roofing.
Timber construction significantly accelerates the construction schedule. As a cladding material, aluminum foam reinterprets the texture of the original 1970s exposed-aggregate concrete panels into a modern, high-tech envelope that is significantly lighter than stone or concrete.
The existing Lullier Horticultural Center exhibits a 1970s Brutalist aesthetic defined by prefabrication, exposed structural framing, and washed concrete. The extension respects this heritage while introducing contemporary environmental performance and efficiency. Aluminum foam acts as a technological evolution of the historic concrete texture, maintaining a respectful dialogue with the architectural legacy.
Client
Geneve city
Program
School extension / classrooms and library
Building Surface
3 568m²
Partner in charge
Toshihiro Kubota
Yves Bachmann
Geneve city
Program
School extension / classrooms and library
Building Surface
3 568m²
Partner in charge
Toshihiro Kubota
Yves Bachmann