The office complex on Rue de Genève was built in 1988. A typical slab for a car-based administration: three massive volumes, deep floors, 328 underground parking spots. Its structure consists of modular concrete elements: rational but repetitive, grey, and lacking elegance. The façades are monotonous: structurally expressive, yet banal in their tectonics. With no clear distinction between base and upper floors, the building lacks readability and presence in the streetscape. It remained neutral in its relationship to the surrounding public space, further weakened by a ground-level layout dominated by outdoor parking. The challenge: transform this structure into a mixed-use project with housing as the primary function, complemented by new activities at ground level. The European Commission has since vacated the site, remote work has shifted demand, and buildings like this no longer match the needs of a city in transition. Like much of the 20th-century ring, the structure reflects a logic built around access, not interaction. The question: can a building designed for isolation become a platform for regenerative transformation?

The transformation starts with the corpus. By retaining the full concrete structure, the project avoids demolition while enabling a complete shift in use. A lightweight timber crown is added on top, respecting the grid and reducing structural load. The building envelope is entirely redefined: 70% of it is rebuilt to improve comfort, orientation and performance. Passive cooling strategies include thermal mass, high-performance glazing and automated night ventilation, replacing the need for air conditioning. Two air-source heat pumps power a shared heating loop, with no fossil fuels and no gas. Green roofs absorb rainwater and modulate temperature. A total of 96 m³ of rainwater is stored and reused on site. From structure to envelope, every layer contributes to a more resilient way of building. Everside doesn’t erase the past. It reframes it to build value through transformation.