by Concept Consult Architectes / Orbe, Swiss

The new research and development centre for beverage systems is located uniquely in a pole position within the existing Nestlé site in Orbe and it’s planned as the first building in a future “trilogy” concept in this field.The masterplan for the site anticipates future extensions in a campus concept that can be built to the north-west and south-east in a spirit of consolidation of the existing equipment and infrastructure, and also with a view to the sustainable development of the main body of the site. The STC is connected to the Orbe site by means of an energy service bridge, a connecting gallery crosses the rail line at 9m off ground level. This walk bridge creates a safe and sheltered passage and is the first step in introducing above the industrial traffic a new urban layer dedicated to pedestrian circulation. The building is designed on a building grid of 7,2x7,2 square meters parallel to the railway line, with a basement for the technical installations, filing storage and medical room. The ground floor is arranged around the requirements of a pilot hall divided into three zones, with a service mezzanine where the technical installations required for the three activity zones can be laid out separately to meet the hygiene requirements of the specific processes. The building with a footprint of 30x22 square meters above the pilot hall then comprises three additional floors of offices-labo ratories, with mezzanines at variable levels on the top floor which will create discussion areas, library, exposition and research areas in a sort of “loft ideas”. The shape of the building is also designed with a view to its integration into a concept in multiple phases, but also as a building which can stand alone without any further extension with a specific iconography which will mark it as the research building, a hotbed of innovation. Pursuing their engagement in energy efficient design Nestlé wished to create a building which is eco-reactive at all levels. The principles of Minergie low energy consumption and sustainability will form an integral part of the general concept and are brought together under the LEED label, with Platinum certification as the objective. (Acreditation in progress). The criteria of communication, transparency and coherence form the basis of the architectural expression while the notions of confidentiality and security are also respected. The geometric shapes on the south-east and north-west facades are the result of a study where the sun’s rays, the visibility of detail darkened out towards the interior from the exterior, the slope of the roofs for the recovery of rainwater and the concern to forge links with the existing buildings have generated a reference angle which is manifest in the volumetric expression.