ThoseSchool developments in Geneva
The prepasses are not at all suitable for the hot weather
A study by the canton highlights the poverty and discomfort of the external arrangements of secondary schools. Diagnosis in this return by 30 degrees announced.
The cycle of large-communes in ONEX. Construction year: 1968.
Magali Girardin
- A cantonal study reveals insufficient external adjustments in 40 Geneva schools.
- Three -quarters of the sites have high potential for ecological transformation.
- School lessons sometimes serve as a unique meeting place in certain districts.
- The canton is preparing a law to redevelop school spaces over fifteen years.
It’s no longer the heat wave, but all the same: the start of the school year will be done under well-high temperatures in this mid-August in Geneva. Is it complicated to work and focus in such conditions? For students, no salvation anyway at the time of the break or the recreation. Because it is enough to take a look in the presses of many schools to see it: the bitumen dominates, the trees are often rare, the furniture quite poor.
This feeling is today confirmed by a vast study conducted by the Department of the Territory and to which the “Tribune de Genève” had access. It relates to secondary schools I and II, which are under the responsibility of the canton.
The 40 sites, or the exteriors of orientation cycles (CO), colleges, business schools, general culture schools, professional schools, were screened by around twenty indicators capable of measuring the quality of the developments. Many of these criteria have a direct link with climatic issues.
Little shade and the reign of bitumen
If the quality of the wooded heritage is quite good, the canopy index (the shadow of trees) is much less so: in 60% of cases, it appears to be “insufficient” or “deplorable”. The permeability of the coatings displays very poor results everywhere, a reflection of largely paved outdoor spaces.
In this mineral context, no site values its rainwater, which is not a surprise: water was considered until recently a waste to be eliminated, and schools have not escaped this dominant long dogma. The importance of this theme with regard to climatic issues has only emerged recently.
The Aimée-Stitertese business and general culture school in Plan-les-Ouates. Construction year: 2008.
CATHY MACHEREL
But there is something to improve things: three -quarters of the sites have a strong potential for transforming coatings, for example. Ditto for more than half of the establishments with regard to the availability of their basements to carry out new plantations.
The study focuses more broadly on the quality of infrastructure. For example, it assesses the integration of the site into the mesh of surrounding public spaces and the surrounding ecological infrastructure, the diversity of spaces and uses, accessibility to the site for soft mobility, parking offer, biodiversity or even bioclimatic situation, an index composed of different elements whose temperature felt, cold air and green spaces.
Strong improvement potential
The overall assessment is eloquent. “Our analysis has shown that we have little attached to the quality of the external arrangements of schools in recent years and that the potential for improvement is enormous,” notes Adrien Mutton, project manager at the Office of Town Planning within the Territory Department and which has piloted this vast study. “This is important for the quality of life of school users, but also for the general population, as it also benefits from these spaces outside school hours.”
Some establishments display big gaps, but while presenting a strong potential for transformation. This is particularly the case for the CO of the Grandes-Commines, the Fox, Cayla, Hawful, Coudriers. Note that even relatively recent establishments, such as the CO of Drize (2009) or the Aimée-Stitertese business and general school (2008) suffer from climate adaptation infrastructure deficit.
The southern facade of the Drize orientation ccycle and its courtyard, in Carouge. Construction year: 2009. Cathy Macherel
Some sites deserve special attention. By categorizing potential interventions, the study also takes into account the rate of modest category students in establishments. “This criterion is important because it also coincides, very often, in infrastructure deficits in the surrounding district. The school courtyard is sometimes the only meeting place in a neighborhood, ”underlines Adrien Mutton.
The fox cycle in Lignon. Construction year: 1967.
Magali Girardin
In another category, there are much better lotis establishments, with good quality existing or without major challenges. Among them, the CO of Vuillonnex and Bois-Caran, the Rousseau and Sismondi colleges or the Raymond-Uldry business school. Share -scale interventions are enough to increase comfort.
Functional dogma
For a long time, school arrangements have responded to the only need for practicality. The school had to be above all functional. This has indicated town planning facilitating flow and surveillance, prioritization of ease of maintenance and at a lower cost. “We applied ourselves to treat the architecture of buildings, much less external arrangements,” summarizes Adrien Mutton.
Another time, other issues: the imperatives of climate resilience, but also the expectations of a better quality of life, have led to a reflection on the need for redevelopments. The canton as the city for primary schools (read below) So try to engage in it.
A bill
Concretely, the transformation program of the canton will have to go through a bill preparing for the territory department. “He is at a touching end,” said assistant secretary general, Pauline de Salis. These redevelopments should be part of a plan span over the next fifteen years.
In the meantime, the radical transformation of the courtyard and the surroundings of Dryer cyclepilot and in progress project, carried out with a large consultation of users, students, teachers, residents of the neighborhood, allows you to get an idea of the possibilities. The courtyard gradually becomes a haven of greenery and the establishment incorporates services (vegetable gardens, sports fields) benefiting the entire district. The production will be completed in April 2026.
The Sécheron cycle and its redevelopment, made up in particular of green islets. Previously, the site and its concrete courtyard was a heat island, with extreme felt temperatures.
CATHY MACHEREL
Priority redevelopments in the city of Geneva
The transformation of overly mineral school courses is also an issue on the scale of primary schools. In the city of Geneva, the municipal council voted last year a credit of 3.4 million francs for the reconfiguration studies of nine schools of schools considered as priority according to different criteria, that is to say the sites of De-Budé, Crêts, Cropettes, Mail, Michel-du-Crest, Roseraie, Vollands, Geisndorf and Saint-Antoine.
In the presentation of the reasons, the Administrative Council noted that “the objective is to create spaces that are both fresher, more alive and offering quality developments aimed at offering a variety of atmospheres conducive to games, exploration, rest and exchange”.
This recent credit has completed committed vegetation programs on 29 primary schools. In addition, projects supported by foundations (Radix and the Roger Federer Foundation) have emerged to transform four school lessons into green and shaded spaces. The projects have the distinction of being set up with the participation of children. The first “green court” was inaugurated at the School of Mail last May.
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