• Project name: Bussigny Station Side

• Location city/canton: Bussigny, canton of Vaud

• Type of project: Urban piece

• Project start date: 2015

• Delivery date: Inauguration 2024

• AMEX project area: 22,600 m²

• SIA Phases: 21 - 41

• Client: HRS

• Lead architects: CCHE Lausanne SA, Favre & Guth SA, jbmn architects

✔️ Supporting the transformation of a former industrial wasteland into a mixed-use residential area integrated into its environment.

✔️ Create quality public spaces for users in a high-density construction site.

✔️ Greening a residential and commercial area to create the Bussigny of tomorrow.

Côté Gare, as its name suggests, is directly connected to the Bussigny train station, on the outskirts of Lausanne. This project is the first urban development to initiate the new urban planning of the southern part of the city, with the rezoning of industrial and artisanal areas into mixed-use zones.

Comprising 6 buildings, the district blends housing, offices, shops and services. The site, in close proximity to the train station, is part of a regional initiative promoting sustainable mobility, with an emphasis on rail, cycling and pedestrian traffic.

The concept of this district is to integrate natural areas on every floor. Green roofs, hanging plants, planted containers, green waterfalls… The idea, in the long term, is to allow vegetation to colonize the buildings wherever possible.

We have conceptualized different spaces, all open to the public and freely accessible. In the inner courtyards of the buildings, the heart of the blocks offers areas of meadow, large native trees for shade and various urban amenities.

The square to the east, connected to the station, continues with a wide pedestrian walkway leading to the activity area. It extends into a series of footbridges that connect all the buildings.

The major challenge of this project is to design high-quality outdoor spaces within a limited footprint. Therefore, in collaboration with the architects, we decided to maximize the use of height to create a suspended public walkway that traverses the neighborhood.

Located on the roof of the parking garage, the activity area forms the core of the project's landscaping, activities, and uses. Accessible to the public and offering unobstructed views, this planted garden provides relaxation areas, grassy zones, children's play areas, shared vegetable gardens, and private terraces.

The plant palette on this upper section consists of perennials, flowering shrubs, and small to medium-sized trees. Despite a high load-bearing capacity (1000 kg/m²), we had to use load-bearing slabs, lightweight soil, and a strategic placement of larger trees on the parking pillars to meet the complex technical constraints of a park built on a slab.

• Project name: Notre-Dame du Lac

• Location: Cologny, canton of Geneva

• Type of project: Urban piece

• Project start date: October 2006

• Delivery date: September 2022

• Project area: 7,000 m2 (AMEX project)

• SIA stages: 31 to 53

• Lead architect: Atelier K architectes sa

• Partners: Martin Paysage sa 

✔️ Carry out the communal and private landscaping of seven luxury villas located on a steeply sloping site overlooking Lake Geneva.

✔️ Ensure the integration of the entire residence into the protected landscape of the Cologny hillside.

✔️ Maintain the view of Lake Geneva while respecting easements of view and preserving privacy with the neighborhood.

✔️ Secure, preserve and enhance the aging tree heritage of the former estate.

Once a vineyard of unparalleled value in the canton of Geneva, the Notre-Dame du Lac site is now home to the prestigious international institute of the same name. Our project focused on the plot adjacent to the school. Covering approximately 7,000 square meters, this meadow-covered embankment, formerly an orchard, has given rise to seven high-end contemporary villas.

Our team of landscape architects and designers conceived all the landscaping features of the plot, overcoming the constraints imposed by its topography and location. From creating intimate gardens to designing shared spaces, our team developed a project that enhances the unique character of the site.

In the past, a bucolic orchard and an aging wooded grove graced this embankment, offering an expanded play area for the students of the Notre-Dame du Lac Institute.

After a thorough study of the existing vegetation, we were able to highlight its qualities and determine which trees to preserve for a respectful planting project.

In anticipation of the arrival of future residents, we have planted vegetation at the bottom of the plot, creating a natural hedge to provide privacy between the students and the residents. To enhance the green environment, we have preserved and replanted mature trees.

In order to respect the heritage of the site, fruit-loving trees have been reintroduced into the private gardens.

Access to the villas is via a sumptuous private driveway, lined with majestic trees. It leads directly to an exclusive underground parking garage, clad in marble and bathed in light, located just below the residences.

For pedestrians, a generous side staircase unfolds, inviting a gentle ascent alongside the landscaped grounds. It provides access to the central walkway and offers discreet access to the rear of the residences. This clever design prioritizes both the privacy of residents and the fluidity of movement through the outdoor spaces.

Between the two new rows of villas, the central walkway, a true gem reserved for pedestrians, meanders gracefully, blurring rigid boundaries. Its undulating design creates a warm atmosphere, offering alcoves conducive to conversation. The wooden decking harmoniously connects the entrances, framed by organic plantings with captivating shapes. A continuous, curved bench in pure white accentuates the walkway and provides seating for sharing. Rounded pebbles add a convivial touch. At the heart of this space, a fountain soothes the senses, while a belvedere rises proudly, offering a privileged view of the lake.

In the same spirit, the private gardens are a true invitation to wonder. Every detail has been carefully considered to offer the best possible experience: one that blends elegance and tranquility. The plantings that meander between each garden and around the private pools blur the boundaries of the properties while ensuring privacy between neighbors. The choice of plant varieties takes into account the need for easy maintenance. Fruit trees and carefully selected vegetation add a refreshing and delightful touch to this harmonious scene.

A landscape design that blurs the boundaries

• Project name: Vieusseux-Villars-Franchises district

• Location: Geneva

• Type of project: Urban piece

• Project start date: 2012

• Delivery date: pending 

• SIA stages: 31 to 53

• Client: ASCHG I FLPAI

The project encompasses three housing estates built between the 1950s and 1970s: Vieusseux, Villars and Franchises. Located near Geneva city centre and close to the airport, the district is bordered by two major roads, the Route de Meyrin with the tram to the north and the Avenue de Châtelaine to the south.

The goal is to reinvent this neighborhood by creating new housing and urban amenities integrated into the existing fabric. Begun in 2012 with the development of the Local Urban Plan (PLQ), the urban and landscape rehabilitation is divided into several phases spanning approximately fifteen years.

In 2012, ARFOLIA took part in the development of the winning PLQ as a landscape architect in a group with the Geneva-based architectural firm Giorgis Rodriguez Architectes.

The idea, developed within the framework of the Local Urban Development Plan (PLQ) and through the various projects within the perimeter, aims for a landscape renovation project that proposes to give the entire site a park-like appearance, breathing new life into this historic district in the center of Geneva. The project will unfold in different phases over approximately fifteen years. This ambitious rehabilitation project encompasses demolitions, new developments, and the construction of housing and community facilities.

Our role, as the commissioned landscape architect, was to outline a harmonious landscape design that would integrate these different urban areas. In short, ARFOLIA acts as the project manager, ensuring the transformation of three housing estates into a wooded urban park focused on the well-being of its residents. This park aims to eliminate vehicles from the site and enhance its various landscape features (plantings, water management, shade, mixed uses, etc.).

Once the PLQ was submitted and validated by the authorities, we obtained a supplementary mandate to develop a planning charter and a master plan.

These two documents allow us to refine the overall direction and begin to sketch the image of the future neighborhood. Furthermore, they ensure overall consistency between the urban components built according to specific phases.

Mobility has been completely redesigned to prioritize pedestrians. With a few exceptions, car traffic now runs underground. Thanks to the existing infrastructure, which has been reinforced, cars enter the city on one side and exit on the other.

Landscape integration allows for the management and calming of traffic flow, putting the user back at the center. Then, zone by zone, these general guidelines are refined to more precisely define what is allocated to vehicles and what is allocated to pedestrians.

The central hub, located in the heart of the block, brings together spaces for activities, relaxation, and meetings. Urban amenities are then planned at specific points throughout the neighborhood. 

Work began in 2018 with the landscaped parking area at the eastern entrance and continued with the shared spaces between buildings A and G on the western side (park, landscaped parking area, EMS reception area, connection to Route des Franchises, etc.). What makes a landscaped parking area special? It incorporates various elements to enhance both the visual and landscaping aspects, as well as shade, lighting, tree planting, and water management, while still providing the necessary number of parking spaces for the neighborhood.

For these two areas, we opted for permeable paving and asphalt to facilitate rainwater infiltration. This is a principle we've applied throughout the entire neighborhood. In this way, the majority of rainwater is collected and used directly on-site.

Water management evolves over the years, adapting to changing challenges. A long-term project like this allows us to implement and test new solutions as the urban components are constructed. For example, future components will incorporate storage tanks to supply irrigation.

The landscape charter is an essential tool for both taking stock of the natural heritage and defining objectives in terms of tree planting.

Here, it allowed us to create a portrait of the tree heritage of the Vieusseux-Villars-Franchises area, identifying zones to be enhanced, preserved, or strengthened. For example, we recognized that the existing wooded strip along the Meyrin road possesses a unique landscape quality, so we decided to preserve and enrich it by planting new trees. The landscape charter is also a necessary element to justify the overall framework within which each urban area is developed. It thus appears as a powerful tool in the eyes of the authorities, who are thereby assured that each project, despite differentiated planning, is part of a unified overall strategy.

The richness of this project is also what makes it complex: working on a large scale over a long period. It is in this type of evolving project that our creativity flourishes. Environmental considerations change, requiring us to adapt our methods to achieve a result that meets residents' expectations. Urban renewal through landscape design is also a way to revitalize the neighborhood, to shift the sense of scale and refocus on the user, and especially on the pedestrian.

In this project, the relationship between humans and the built environment is woven here through vegetation. It is, in essence, the pinnacle of our profession.  

• Project name: Concorde district, sector F

• Location city/canton: Geneva

• Project type: urban piece

• Project start date: 2016

• Delivery date: 2022

• AMEX project area: 7,767 m²

• SIA Phases: 31 - 53

• Lead architect: ass architectes associés SA

• Partner company: BEP

✔️ Supporting urban densification while guaranteeing the quality of life for residents.

✔️ Preserve as many existing trees as possible and create an area for shared gardens.

✔️ Offer generous outdoor amenities for apartment residents and neighbors.

This project is located in the heart of Geneva, in the rapidly developing Concorde district. Faced with growing demand for housing, the HBM Émile Dupont Foundation sought to increase the density of its residential stock. The entirely pedestrianized site originally contained eight buildings constructed in the 1950s, along with large green spaces and community gardens.

In response to a competition, we were commissioned, along with Ass Architectes Associés SA, to redesign this residential neighborhood. The mission had to address two key objectives of the Foundation: to increase the number of housing units while preserving recreational spaces to guarantee the quality of life for residents.

To the north, a public square connects the housing complex with the surrounding neighborhood. This area includes bicycle parking, recycling points, and the "fault line," a pathway that crosses the site to connect Chemin des Sports to Chemin des Ouches. At the rear, along the Green Way bordering the railway tracks, we have preserved the existing tree-lined strip. To the northeast, along Chemin des Sports, the pedestrian walkway, raised above street level, is lined with linden trees and planters filled with perennials and grasses. On the Chemin des Ouches side, a magnificent Acer pseudoplatanus welcomes visitors. A rest area with picnic tables is located beneath it to enjoy its shade.

The tree palette is predominantly native around the perimeter, becoming increasingly horticultural towards the interior of the site. Along the residential buildings, decorative gardens planted with cultivated species and ornamental apple and plum trees serve as a buffer zone between the private terraces of the residences and the public garden. The sandblasted concrete walkways and the smooth white concrete street furniture echo the architecture.

We also planned a multi-age children's play area and raised community gardens in wooden planters. These two areas were put on hold and will be implemented later by BEP, after consultation with residents.