The project to renovate and raise the height of the building at 10-10bis rue des Maraîchers in Geneva aims to unify the two corner buildings with neighbouring building number 8 by raising the height and renovating the façades of the corner building.

The architects agreed at the time to establish a common framework, that of the vertical structure of the columns, around which each building could then express its particularities. Today, the interweaving of the different architectures and phases is unclear, complicating the architectural whole without adding any particularly interesting qualities. By examining the architecture of the neighbouring building (listed in the inventory), built in 1955 and very elegantly raised by Ugo Brunoni in 2019, we understood one of the fundamental principles of the neighbouring project, which we propose to recover and reinforce.

The south facade has more generous balconies. As in the rest of the project, the light façade wraps around the concrete structure, which remains protected. Like a large shelf, it rests on the concrete beams of the ground floor roof. On the courtyard side, the balconies are set into the glass box.

Access remains unchanged on the rue des Maraîchers side. On the courtyard side, however, accesses have been redesigned to balance the space dedicated to cars, bicycles and pedestrians. Permeable green areas have been added to the rear courtyard, including the planting of 4 new trees. Benches have been integrated into the landscaping. Although 20 parking spaces will be retained, cycle parking spaces will be added.

The existing stairwell is retained, allowing natural light into the heart of the scheme (which minimises the power consumption of this major communal space). We believe it is important to preserve and enhance its architectural qualities in order to encourage interaction between residents. The entrance on the courtyard side has been redesigned, with the hall becoming a walk-through space.

Four different types of apartment are proposed. This configuration makes it possible to offer 15 new rooms per raised floor, i.e. 6 new flats per floor.

The project we are proposing for the renovation and elevation of the building is intended to be exemplary in terms of sustainable development, with a detailed approach to energy expenditure, as well as to materials, uses and architectural thinking.