Owner:
Office des Constructions Fédérales Suisses. The EPF-L Construction Department in Ecublens.
Date:
1978
The project develops direct relationships among the units both vertically and horizontally.
The main themes of the project are:
Spatial contacts that enables students from different years and studies to communicate:
• a wheel-like disposition of teaching units around
a central debating, conference, exhibition space
etc (an architectural forum)
• a vertical grouping of study workshops with the
offices of tenured professors
• variable size workshops that can evolve with the
numbers of students and the nature of the
course.
The energy concept that is developed includes passive solar energy absorption technology. Its aim is to reduce energy needs by breaking up the space into sectors depending on their heating energy requirements.
This is obtained by:
• large natural light tunnels that also light north
facing and remote areas of the building.
• double membrane cladding for absorption and
regulation of solar energy.
(mid-season, winter and summer positions)
Materials used: bearing structure in reinforced concrete, high peripheral insulation with outer shell in recycled aluminium. Insulating solar control glazing depending on position on building. Profiles in recycled aluminium with thermal cuts.
