Two public housing apartment buildings have been built in the clearing of what was once a densely wooded park, perched above Geneva and overlooking Lake Geneva. The building site stands out for both its lush existing trees and its prime location near the Parc La Grange and various community facilities, including the Gèneve-Eaux-Vives railway station and multiple schools.

The new apartment complex frames a linear, central paved courtyard. Our landscape design preserves the centuries-old trees encircling the space, while blending the contemporary buildings into a site-wide cohesive and naturalistic environment.

The project is characterized by a wooded landscape. A linear miniature forest stretches through the heart of the courtyard’s garden, creating an extension of the surrounding groves of trees. The forest offers privacy, shade, and comfort to apartment residents. Various pathways wind through the trees, connecting the site to the area’s nearby footpaths and public spaces.

Our design takes into account the limits of the courtyard. At the heart of the forest, groves of birch and European hornbeam trees are planted in raised mounds ranging from 1m to 1.2m thick. These gentle slopes guarantee the long-term survival of the trees. The ground is blanketed in low-growing perennials. Shrubs are not included so as to maintain open views below the treetops. The contrast between the mature trees surrounding the site and the vibrant saplings at its center creates an interplay of scale, density, and composition that both distinguishes and enhances the garden.

The hardscape pathways are surfaced in sawn and riven 10x10cm granite paving stones. Along the apartment buildings, evergreen hedging shelters private balconies from community spaces and foot traffic. The hedging is accompanied by gravel infiltration trenches designed to collect rainwater throughout the courtyard.

On the northwest side of the site, the pathway leading to the apartment complex becomes more open and defined. On either side of the complex, aggregate pathways run beneath the existing trees, a low-impact and minimalist design that respects the root systems. To the north, the Artists’ Path is adorned with sculptures by the Congolese artist Barthélémy Toguo.