The project consists in the construction of 90 rental housing units and 2.000 m² of activities on the ground floor. The seven stories building is located on a site overlooking Lausanne with a strong slope that offers a view towards Lake Geneva (Lac Leman).

East-west crossing axis
For a better urban integration of the project, the creation of an opening enables a visual and physical connection between the garden and the street. This new axis structures the building’s implantation in two blocks on the authorized construction area and centralizes the access to the housings. The new promenade is open to local residents during the day, giving access to an equipment in the center of the plot (fitness center or offices) to improve social interactions.

« Private » streets
The project proposes a system of external corridors that give access to all apartments, working at every level as a private street with shared spaces for the inhabitants. These circulations benefit from natural lighting and participate as a way to ventilate naturally all the units.

Programmatic organisation
Parking (for cars and two wheels) are located on the basement level. The ground floor accommodates two large entrance halls that give access to the housing units, the shared spaces and the activities as offices, commercial spaces and a fitness facility on two levels. These surfaces are flexible and can be adapted to users’ future needs. The project proposes a diversity of housing typologies on every floor. On the last two levels, two stories houses benefit from an impressive view on the Lake Geneva (Lac Leman). This upper composition brings a domestic scale to the building whereas the beehive structure on the facades transcribes the program.

External spaces
All apartments benefit from generous outdoor spaces. The South and West facades are split in two to create continuous balconies which offer private outdoor spaces that participate in the control of the sunlight exposure. The wooden structure of the balconies is disconnected from the facades to limit thermal bridges.

Program: 90 rental housing units + activities
Architects: Janez Nguyen Architectes
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Client: ECA
Surface: 10,800 m²
Budget: n.c.
Schedule: competition 2016

About Janez Nguyen Architects

Janez Nguyen is an architectural office based in Paris and born from the encounter between Robert Janez and Emmanuel Nguyen. After 10 years of experience in renowned architectural offices and a distinction for the international competition Europan, they took benefit from their complementarity and established their office in 2015. 

Janez Nguyen Architects engages in a reflective practice to improve living conditions through a generous architecture which takes bases in people, ways of life, environment and landscape. 

The office is involved in a wide variety of projects and programs, from family home to collective housings and public equipment.

Main distinctions

Jury prize of "Festival des architectures vives" in la Grande Motte, France:

http://festivaldesarchitecturesvives.com/Land-motte 

Co-winner of European 13 in Charleroi, Belgium :

http://www.charleroi-bouwmeester.be/europan/