location in aigle 'place de la gare' raiffeisen alpes chablais vaudois bank, aigle, competition

project owner:

raiffeisen alpes chablais vaudois bank

programme:

new administrative headquarters and customer service centre, 29 workplaces

dates:

competition 2018

the project reflects the raiffeisen philosophy; the main building conveys the institution's stability and durability, while the annex reflects its transparency and openness.

concept

the strong but largely limited intervention in the western annex achieves three objectives:

- to recover the original spatial quality of the historic building, with the current annex probably built on the original terrace being a more recent, parasitic feature.

- to obtain a direct relationship between the place de la gare, a major city space, and the banking institution thanks to the transparency and ground-level access of the new structure.

- reconnecting the building with its magnificent garden, which should be enhanced by the new annex which will be designed as a pavilion. during the summer months, the meeting rooms will be able to extend out beneath the great cedars.

in the main building, the most interesting spaces from a substantive historical point of view are being preserved. for example, these include the south-facing lounges on the ground floor, the entrance hall and the staircases. on the upper floors, in order to create more generous and functional spaces, the skylights are being dismantled and the load-bearing walls will define the new rooms.

interior design

particular care will be taken to preserve the woodwork around the walls or the door and window frames, as these elements form part of the character of the building and should be preserved. where it is not possible to preserve them, these elements will be redesigned in a contemporary style.

in the entrance hall, the relationship with the garden will be enhanced by a completely glazed façade.

lighting

the arrangement of the work areas around the outside of the building and the generous sized windows allow for optimal use of natural light. in the historic building, the high ceilings make it possible to install softly lit, partly indirect lighting to create a good working atmosphere.

finally, the illumination of the garden, including lighting under the trees, showcase the green spaces.

Energy

the building’s existing insulation will be improved throughout where it does not conflict with the building’s historical characteristics. the massive quality of the stone walls will restrict overheating and, working in tandem with nighttime heat relief system, it will be possible to maintain a pleasant temperature without the need for an active cooling system.

The renewal of air in the historic building is taken care of by low tech fans on the premises without needing to open the windows in this noisy environment.

In the reception hall the glazing has high thermal efficiency in order to provide optimal comfort in winter and are selective to reduce heat from the sun in hot weather. It is probable that nonetheless, a cooling system may be required to guarantee a stable temperature, given the solar gains and the heat given off by banking devices.