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Our sustainable headquarters - an interview with renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron
Herzog & de Meuron, the globally renowned Swiss architecture firm, has designed our new headquarters. This distinguished practice is behind many landmark buildings, including, to name but a few, the Tate Modern in London, the De Young Museum of San Francisco, the National Stadium in Beijing, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Goetz Collection in Munich. Lombard Odier and Herzog & de Meuron share both a focus on sustainability and the desire to create a building that thoroughly embodies our values.
What defines a sustainable building?
Sustainability rests on three pillars: Environmental, Social, and Economical. A truly sustainable building addresses all three dimensions, although discussion around sustainable construction is, unfortunately, often reduced to just the environmental aspect. That said, in this respect, the location of a building is an essential factor for its long-term ecological footprint. Bellevue is well connected to public transportation, allowing staff to get to work with a low CO2 impact. There will also be a significant amount of bike parking spaces and auxiliary functions for cyclists.
We will limit the building’s energy consumption through compact massing, which refers to having a good ratio between volume and façade. In addition, cantilevering floor slabs will protect the highly transparent façade from heat impact while maintaining ample daylight, reducing the need for artificial lighting.
Sustainable sources will help to cover the building’s energy needs. These will include a connection to Geneva’s GeniLac, which uses the lake as a source of energy for cooling; and, on the roof, a photovoltaic plant to generate electricity.
How do you think about social impact when you and your team design a building?
A building that offers social, functional, and aesthetic qualities, as well as ample flexibility, is valued by everyone. In turn, this ensures its potential to be used for a long time, which is the most effective means of reducing grey energy1. The new Lombard Odier building will offer employees a workplace of extraordinary quality, and everyone will enjoy generous views onto the lake, mountains, and green spaces in the surroundings. Large-scale floor plates with open plan offices will offer flexibility for changing team sizes and many different kinds of enclosed spaces for focused work, as well as collaborative spaces. The design fosters both concentration and interaction; employees will not just be working at their desks all day long. Additionally, there are various options for where to eat and practice sports, both indoors and out: on the terraces, in the gardens and at the nearby lake.
Will clients recognise the Lombard Odier that they know?
Absolutely! We designed the building in close collaboration with Lombard Odier, and it will very much reflect the bank’s values as well as create an impressive client experience, all by maximising the perception of nature’s stunning beauty. This project proves that Lombard Odier is a bank that rethinks everything. In moving to this new, transparent, contemporary building, the bank will further optimise its interaction with clients, embrace sustainability in all its dimensions and create a workplace that is state-of-the-art with regards to efficiency as much as employee well-being.
1 Grey energy is the energy inherent in a building throughout its life cycle, from production to disposal.
Important information
This document is issued by Bank Lombard Odier & Co Ltd or an entity of the Group (hereinafter “Lombard Odier”). It is not intended for distribution, publication, or use in any jurisdiction where such distribution, publication, or use would be unlawful, nor is it aimed at any person or entity to whom it would be unlawful to address such a document. This document was not prepared by the Financial Research Department of Lombard Odier.
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