Vennes 3

Crédit Agricole Suisse’s new administration building serves to complete its Logistics Centre in Lausanne Vennes. Its construction is testament to the growth of the bank’s service centre business. Situated opposite Vennes Building 2, to which it is connected by an underground passageway, the new block has been designed to take maximum advantage of the building regulations laid out in the City of Lausanne’s General Land Use Plan, in terms of both area and volume, providing space for a total of 211 staff.

The ground floor comprises a reception area, training rooms and a conference room with seating capacity for up to 50 people, which can be sub-divided. The three middle floors accommodate purpose built office areas designed to provide state of the art services whilst maximising available office space. The top floor is reserved for the management suites and board rooms. Two basement levels house service rooms and provide parking spaces for 32 cars.

The simple floor plan is arranged around a central core. At the heart of the building are the vertical risers, washrooms, service areas and ducts, leaving the outer areas free for the work space. The offices are based on a grid plan of 1.7m allowing maximum flexibility of use, with possibility for individual offices, shared offices and open plan areas. Compact and logical, the building meets stringent requirements in terms of energy savings. Firmly rooted to the ground, the building opens out generously to the environment. Each storey is highlighted by cornices which on the southern side project out to form generously dimensioned canopies. These give the full height panorama windows protection from the sun and project the building towards the lake and the surrounding landscape.

The side elevations to the east and west are protected by tilting slats of serigraphed glass. These slats move with the sun as the day advances, shading the work areas from the direct sun, whilst allowing a maximum amount of light to enter and provide natural illumination. This system adds variety, movement, transparency and ever changing reflections to a facade that is the discreet physical reflection of the functions housed within.