GEMS World Academy School – Etoy

Year

2011 – 2015

Owner of the project

Meigerhorn Asset Management SA

Architects

CCHE Lausanne SA

Total cost

CHF 51 millions

The challenge

A global client – GEMS Education, the world's largest network of private schools. A narrow plot of land, nestled between the A1 motorway and the Lausanne-Geneva railway lines. A tight schedule, requiring the building to be ready before the start of the next school year. A building with the Minergie label, with all the constraints that this entails. And above all, an unexpected change of use: originally designed to house administrative areas, the building was converted into a school before the completion of the structural work, requiring the addition of a third floor. Could we have foreseen so many challenges?

Our response

Despite the high stakes, the NFIC team had all the potential to succeed. Our responsiveness enabled us to adapt smoothly to the change of use and to complete the building on time. Our know-how and expertise in reinforced pre-stressed concrete structures were essential for the construction of this particularly ambitious school complex. Our knowledge of multiple languages has opened the doors to a global client base.