The Swiss architecture firm Lacroix Chessex has converted the Villa Ambrosetti in Geneva into a day care center. In order to preserve the character of the listed building and emphasize its architectural quality, it was renovated with respect and targeted measures. As a result, there is no trace of contemporary intervention on the outside. Inside, Lacroix Chessex opted for contrasts.

The Villa Ambrosetti

The Villa Ambrosetti, built in 1868, is located at 54 Route de Frontenex in Geneva. In contrast to the five to six-storey buildings in its surroundings, it is significantly lower with its three residential storeys above a basement used for industrial purposes.
It is also not in line with the rest of the perimeter block development. The inner courtyard of the building faces the street. This is formed by the two low outbuildings, which stand at right angles to the house. At the rear of the main building, raised by the basement level, is the villa’s extensive garden, like a small green oasis in the middle of the city.

Conversion of a villa into a daycare center

The villa is located in the Eaux-Vives district, in a protected area of historic urban structure, and also in one of Geneva’s districts with the highest shortage of childcare places. The property was acquired by the City of Geneva back in 1951 and has undergone various transformations since then. For a long time, there was disagreement about the future use of the building.

Then, in 2014, the tender for the construction of a daycare center was published in order to counteract the increasing shortage. It was one of seven projects initiated by the city. The requirement was to create 54 childcare places without the currently occupied upper floors of the main building being affected by the conversion. The design by architects Lacroix Chessex even manages to increase the number of childcare places to 96 by cleverly restructuring the organization of the space.

Lacroix Chessex create a central distribution zone

For Lacroix Chessex, the programmatic organization focuses on the distribution of the different age groups and the quality of the children’s spaces. A key guiding principle is the creation of a single entrance from the inner courtyard to the daycare center with a central distribution zone. This meant that inside, particular attention was paid to improving the connections between the different age groups. The poorly lit vaulted roof space was optimized. In addition, there are now stronger, direct connections to the sheltered garden.

The large inner courtyard, flanked by the outbuildings, is now no longer accessible to cars. A new gate also protects it from traffic. The inner courtyard leads to the magnificent two-storey communal area of the crèche, with a mezzanine floor and visible vaulted ceiling, where the vermouth cellars were once located.

Taking this existing central distribution core into account, the reorganization of the rooms optimizes the supply of natural light. It cleverly weaves functional connections between the various children’s groups and rooms. The two-storey communal area serves as a welcome area, checkroom and dining room for the children. It also has large windows and a view of the inner courtyard. On the other hand, it creates a connection between the inner courtyard and the extensive garden at the rear of the building. And this despite the fact that it is one floor higher.

Rooms designed for children

Children can enjoy the play area on the mezzanine floor of the main building, with an indoor slide and direct access to the garden. The play area is open to the reception area, where a floor-to-ceiling pink net provides fall protection. The rooms for both baby and toddler groups are located in the main building. The older, more mobile children are accommodated in the outbuildings facing the inner courtyard on the Route de Frontenex, as they regularly go on excursions.

Lacroix Chessex preserve the existing heritage

The façade of the building and the corner ashlars in particular were extensively repaired and restored as part of the project. Equally important was the elaborate restoration of the natural stone walls inside, which, together with the stone cross vault, give the interior its impressive flair.

Overall, the project by Lacroix Chessex fits in with the existing structures of the listed building. Only the openings in the cross vault of the current communal area were major interventions in the existing structure to enable the installation of the large staircase and elevator.

In addition, custom-made stabilizing brackets were installed and various measures were carried out on the upper floor to strengthen the structure. This created interesting spatial relationships between the vault, concrete structure and various views. As the roof truss had already been reinforced a few years previously, no further measures were necessary here.

Lacroix Chessex sets contrasts

The Lacroix Chessex design concept is based on contrasts. Above all, between old and new in the field of tension between lightness and heaviness.

The load-bearing structures, old and new, are solid and coarse. They stand out from one another through their materiality. The use of concrete and its visible board formwork creates a contrast to the natural stone with its coarse structure and reinforces its effect.

All these rather heavy-looking elements are related to delicate structures and juicy colors. A color concept of light pastel shades such as pink, blue and green and their darker equivalents Bordeaux red, petrol blue and dark green runs through the common rooms and areas. The light pastel shades increasingly adorn large surfaces and the dark colors the isolated metal elements, such as stair railings, window frames and ventilation grilles. Overall, this creates color accents in contrast to the predominantly white ceilings and walls.

Lacroix Chessex has kept the rooms for the various children’s groups simple in white and pastel shades with light wooden floors, allowing them to be individualized for the children and with their creations. After an eight-year project phase and construction period, the children will be able to move into the new daycare center later this year.

In Lisbon, the ARX architecture firm built the kindergarten-primary school combination on an unusual building site: Redbridge School.