OREANDA-NEWS. Having won an international competitive tender organised by the United Nations, Implenia has been awarded the contract to build a new office complex in Geneva. The new building will aid the UN’s effort to bring all of its employees together on the Palais des Nations site. Implenia, with the support of local and international partners, is constructing the new building on a plot of around 25,000 m2 following LEED principles (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The new office building will have open-plan workspace for 1,400 employees, as well as terraces and enclosed outdoor areas on each floor. It is being built on a slope, and the terracing will help the new building blend perfectly into the hill. With construction taking place on UN property, security requirements are stringent. Work began at the beginning of November 2017 and should last until the end of November 2019. The contract is worth around CHF 100 million.

The UN’s new office building is the first project on which Implenia is implementing its new “Chantier Marguerite” sustainability initiative. As part of this initiative, Implenia is working with the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) to document the construction processes and environmental measures involved in the creation of the new office building. This documentation should help the UN share knowledge and skills relating to sustainable construction techniques and methods under its Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, Implenia is creating employment opportunities for refugees on the site in collaboration with Canton Geneva’s Office for Integration of Foreigners (BIE). As part of “Chantier Marguerite”, Implenia is also implementing a series of other initiatives focused on waste management, water treatment, soil and air pollution, noise, energy consumption and construction infrastructure; one of the main aims is to minimise CO2 emissions. “We’re proud to be realising this ambitious project with the United Nations on the Palais des Nations site,” says CEO Anton Affentranger. “With our ‘Chantier Marguerite’ sustainability initiative we can also support knowledge transfer relating to sustainable construction techniques. We’re pleased that we can contribute to a more sustainable world in this way.”