Atelier Archiplein: Social rental housing made of wood and stone

The architecture studio Atelier Archiplein has built a block of ten social housing units in Geneva on behalf of the Nicolas Bogueret Foundation. The special feature: The building is located on one of the last developable plots on the banks of the Rhône. More about the project here.

The historic center of Geneva is densely built-up. In 2018, a competition was held on behalf of the Nicolas Bogueret Foundation with the aim of developing one of the last available plots of land in the heart of the city with social housing. The Archiplein studio won the competition and realized the project, which was completed this year. The result is a residential block made of wood and stone that offers ten social housing units and a workshop for the reintegration of people with mental illnesses.

The plot of land on which the building was constructed belonged to the Canton of Geneva, which donated it to the Nicolas Bogueret Foundation. The aim of this foundation is to support social housing in Switzerland. This project is exceptional because it provides social housing in the heart of Geneva’s financial and banking district. The Quartier de la Jonction, where the project is located, used to be dominated by industrial buildings. Today, these are being converted. For example, the Atelier Archiplein building is adjacent to a former chocolate factory, which is a listed building and now serves as a vocational school. The nature reserve on the banks of the Rhône is also located right next to the building.

Due to the special location and the specifications, the architects were faced with severe restrictions. The architectural composition of the building should enter into a dialog with the surroundings. Accordingly, the industrial architecture with its rationality and efficiency is visible, for example in the structural grid of the building, into which large window fronts are inserted. At the same time, it adapts to the context and thus anchors the building in its surroundings.

It was important to Atelier Archiplein to build with natural materials, such as stone and wood. In this way, the architects want to question the current production methods of buildings and address environmental and climate issues. Social housing is part of the studio’s search for possible alternatives. It is intended to show how it is possible to redesign construction models while at the same time drawing on traditional know-how.

However, instead of adopting a nostalgic attitude, Atelier Archiplein offers a reflective approach. It combines valuable ideas from history with the efficiency of today’s technology, demonstrating how valuable building with solid stone can be. The entire vertical structure of the building is made of solid stone. And the wooden floors show how beautiful original materials can be. The load-bearing inner core of the building is also made of stone, while the partition walls are much lighter and allow for flexible use.

At first glance, the composition of the apartment block appears to be very strict. But in practice, the apartments are freed from a classic load-bearing structure. Ten apartments have been created that can be flexibly distributed. The exterior corridor that runs along the street side of the building serves as both a corridor and a balcony. It offers the possibility of dividing apartments, organizing them differently or implementing co-living ideas. This flexible use is another of the architects’ proposals for the living of the future. All outdoor areas, which are present in even the smallest apartments, offer a south-facing orientation and large window fronts facing the river. In this way, the apartments are designed to feel as if they extend into the landscape, while at the same time guaranteeing privacy.

Atelier Archiplein was founded in 2008 by Marlène Leroux and Francis Jacquier. After gaining experience in China, the studio settled in France. It is known for its buildings made of solid stone and wood.

Read more: A modern residential building made of exposed concrete and wood has been created in Reinach.