Bernex and Confignon Fire Station
Bernex and Confignon Fire Station
Bunq Architectes
YEAR
2014
PHOTOS
David De Armas (12)
LOCATION
Bernex, Switzerland
PROJECT INFORMATION
The building is made of strips that adjust to the shape of the lot.
As a result of this geometry, the shifts between adjacent strips allow natural light to flow into the whole construction.
The programme is arranged according to the slope: from the outdoor car park on the upper ground floor, one enters then gradually walks through the building to eventually reach the vehicles located on lower ground floor.
The cafeteria located upstairs enjoys views of the Salève on one side and the Jura mountains on the opposite side.
The volume of the fire station changes according to the context. From the north, its unitary form
reflects the scale of the surrounding industrial buildings.
Facing the dwellings along chemin des
Suzettes, the fire station develops in a series of smaller volumes.
Windows and large doors built out of aluminium and polycarbonate, set between the strips, engenders the industrial aspect of the northern facade. The domestic side, to the south, is made of larch woodwork.
PROGRAMME - THE PROGRAMME CONSISTS OF THREE PARTS
-Hall for vehicles and mechanical workshop
-The heated volume comprises technical rooms and changing rooms on lower ground floor,administration on upper ground floor, refectory and kitchen on first floor.
-Communal warehouse underneath the outdoor parking
CONSTRUCTION
Steel columns and truss beams form the primary structure. Its great span allows flexibility for
manoeuvring.
The secondary structure, a wooden frame, bears the cladding. The strips receive
identical treatment on both façade and roof: they are covered with slate sealing surface on the outside and with fibreboard on the inside.
Reinforced concrete is used for heated rooms, internal walls and slabs. They act as firestopping and ensure seismic resistance.
