Greater sustainability through reuse

Sablier Sàrl, Gérald Gerber Architecte and NFIC submitted an outstanding proposal for the competition to construct the new Jonction water sports park. A project that reveals new perspectives in the construction industry.

More than ever, sustainability is a crucial issue for the construction industry. One of the greatest challenges facing the sector is ensuring that building projects have the least possible impact on the environment, not only in terms of the construction sites themselves, but above all in terms of the materials used.

So when the City of Geneva launched a parallel study to design the new Jonction water sports park, the issue of sustainability was a key element right from the outset. The aim of the brief was to create a new public park on the site of disused public transport depots, and to build a new water sports park (canoeing, rafting, paddleboarding, etc.).

Although a more obvious solution on paper, dismantling everything and rebuilding from scratch would have run counter to the sustainability objectives of the City of Geneva and the project itself. So how can we put the desire for renewal into practice while thinking about the future?

A LEGO project

It is on this particular type of topic that NFIC likes to bring its expertise, its vision and its capacity for upstream thinking.

Instead of dismantling everything, the idea was to upgrade the existing site by extensively reusing materials from the former public transport depots. This was followed by a LEGO approach, consisting of listing all the parts of the existing buildings in order to decide which could be incorporated into the new project. The outcome was that the vast majority of the structures in the newly-created space could be taken from the existing infrastructure.

Other sustainable aspects were also taken into account. For example, the proposal included retaining all existing trees. In addition, the site did not require any excavation, thereby keeping rubble to a minimum.

A podium of distinction

The project submitted by Sablier Sàrl, Gérald Gerber Architecte and NFIC was awarded 3rd prize out of 73 entries. An excellent ranking which, above and beyond the aesthetics of the proposal, demonstrates clear, coherent and effective thinking.

NFIC has been carrying out in-depth research into reuse and recycled materials for many years, and we now have several references in this field. Thank you to our partners and to the City of Geneva for this wonderful opportunity to showcase our expertise.