Building NextGen Geneva: Inside Quai Vernets

In the center of Geneva, the Quai Vernets project is transforming a former military barracks site into a blueprint for circular and sustainable NextGen cities using Holcim’s ECOPlanet with ECOCycle inside.

As part of the city’s Praille-Acacias-Vernets development, this vibrant mixed-use hub is redefining high-density urban living with Holcim’s sustainable and circular solutions inside, serving as a flagship project for our NextGen Growth 2030 strategy.

Meeting rigorous Swiss building standards
 

Quai Vernets was designed to meet Switzerland’s rigorous Minergie-ECO and Swiss Sustainable Construction Standard (SNBS) standards, guided by a sustainability charter with over 70 specific measures.

The ambitious large-scale urban project had the challenge of bringing 1 355 new houses to the city, two thirds of which are social housing facilities, as well as modern facilities for the University of Geneva, while keeping the construction process efficient and sustainable.

To achieve this and ensure a sustainable build , developers Losinger Marazzi specified Holcim’s low-carbon Susteno 4S and ECOPlanet cements for Quai Vernets’ Block B.

Using ECOPlanet, the project achieved a 42% reduction in carbon emissions compared to standard Portland cement, while delivering 100% performance.

Advancing circular building
 

Additionally, Quai Vernets is a great example of circular building, using Holcim’s proprietary ECOCycle circular technology, which we use to recycle construction demolition materials (CDM) into high-value building materials and solutions.

For Quai Vernets, 20 000 tons of concrete from the site’s former military barracks was crushed and recycled, then repurposed for use as aggregates in ECOPlanet cement with 20% recycled CDM for the project’s new foundations – closing the material loop and driving urban circularity.

The future of urban living
 

To ensure the district remains sustainable for generations to come, Qui Vernets was built around renewable energy and low-impact mobility from day one.

The district relies on 100% renewable heating and cooling via the local GeniLac network, operates an intelligent micro-grid for electricity supply, and supports sustainable transport with 3 500 bicycle parking spaces.

To bring nature into the city of Geneva, Quai Vernets features 25 000 m² of green outdoor spaces that brings numerous benefits, from improved air quality and a reduced urban heat island effect to better quality of life for residents.

Setting new standards for urban living with Holcim inside, Quai Vernets is a sustainable, circular and energy-efficient district in the heart of Geneva.