The project encompasses three housing estates built between the 1950s and 1970s: Vieusseux, Villars and Franchises. Located near Geneva city centre and close to the airport, the district is bordered by two major roads, the Route de Meyrin with the tram to the north and the Avenue de Châtelaine to the south.
The goal is to reinvent this neighborhood by creating new housing and urban amenities integrated into the existing fabric. Begun in 2012 with the development of the Local Urban Plan (PLQ), the urban and landscape rehabilitation is divided into several phases spanning approximately fifteen years.
The PLQ launches the broad outlines of an ambitious project
In 2012, ARFOLIA took part in the development of the winning PLQ as a landscape architect in a group with the Geneva-based architectural firm Giorgis Rodriguez Architectes.
The idea, developed within the framework of the Local Urban Development Plan (PLQ) and through the various projects within the perimeter, aims for a landscape renovation project that proposes to give the entire site a park-like appearance, breathing new life into this historic district in the center of Geneva. The project will unfold in different phases over approximately fifteen years. This ambitious rehabilitation project encompasses demolitions, new developments, and the construction of housing and community facilities.
Our role, as the commissioned landscape architect, was to outline a harmonious landscape design that would integrate these different urban areas. In short, ARFOLIA acts as the project manager, ensuring the transformation of three housing estates into a wooded urban park focused on the well-being of its residents. This park aims to eliminate vehicles from the site and enhance its various landscape features (plantings, water management, shade, mixed uses, etc.).
A landscape charter and an evolving master plan to support the rehabilitation
Once the PLQ was submitted and validated by the authorities, we obtained a supplementary mandate to develop a planning charter and a master plan.
These two documents allow us to refine the overall direction and begin to sketch the image of the future neighborhood. Furthermore, they ensure overall consistency between the urban components built according to specific phases.
Mobility has been completely redesigned to prioritize pedestrians. With a few exceptions, car traffic now runs underground. Thanks to the existing infrastructure, which has been reinforced, cars enter the city on one side and exit on the other.
Landscape integration allows for the management and calming of traffic flow, putting the user back at the center. Then, zone by zone, these general guidelines are refined to more precisely define what is allocated to vehicles and what is allocated to pedestrians.
The central hub, located in the heart of the block, brings together spaces for activities, relaxation, and meetings. Urban amenities are then planned at specific points throughout the neighborhood.
Zone by zone, urban spaces and amenities come to life
Work began in 2018 with the landscaped parking area at the eastern entrance and continued with the shared spaces between buildings A and G on the western side (park, landscaped parking area, EMS reception area, connection to Route des Franchises, etc.). What makes a landscaped parking area special? It incorporates various elements to enhance both the visual and landscaping aspects, as well as shade, lighting, tree planting, and water management, while still providing the necessary number of parking spaces for the neighborhood.
For these two areas, we opted for permeable paving and asphalt to facilitate rainwater infiltration. This is a principle we've applied throughout the entire neighborhood. In this way, the majority of rainwater is collected and used directly on-site.
Water management evolves over the years, adapting to changing challenges. A long-term project like this allows us to implement and test new solutions as the urban components are constructed. For example, future components will incorporate storage tanks to supply irrigation.
Focus on: the landscape charter in the service of urban renewal
The landscape charter is an essential tool for both taking stock of the natural heritage and defining objectives in terms of tree planting.
Here, it allowed us to create a portrait of the tree heritage of the Vieusseux-Villars-Franchises area, identifying zones to be enhanced, preserved, or strengthened. For example, we recognized that the existing wooded strip along the Meyrin road possesses a unique landscape quality, so we decided to preserve and enrich it by planting new trees. The landscape charter is also a necessary element to justify the overall framework within which each urban area is developed. It thus appears as a powerful tool in the eyes of the authorities, who are thereby assured that each project, despite differentiated planning, is part of a unified overall strategy.
The Vieusseux — Villars — Franchises district:
a long-term landscape rehabilitation
The richness of this project is also what makes it complex: working on a large scale over a long period. It is in this type of evolving project that our creativity flourishes. Environmental considerations change, requiring us to adapt our methods to achieve a result that meets residents' expectations. Urban renewal through landscape design is also a way to revitalize the neighborhood, to shift the sense of scale and refocus on the user, and especially on the pedestrian.
