Passerelle des Orchidées

ARCHITHEUTIS

competition for a pedestrian

and bicycle bridge, 1st prize

with MAJE

image: V.Calame & L.Bouche

2024, Bellevue – GE

IN-BETWEEN

Master Studio FHWN

Periphery, agglomeration, intermediate city: 6.6 million people live in Switzerland’s 52 agglomerations, which corresponds to 74% of the Swiss resident population. The Masterstudio takes a look at the Central Plateau, from Geneva to Rorschach. How can urban sprawl be re-designed? How can existing qualities be preserved and new specificities created? By what means and with what time horizon?

Teaching Team:

Fabio Gsell, Annette Helle, Patrick Meyer, Dominique Salathé, Laura Schneider, Guillaume Yersin (guest prof.)

Photo: Fabio Gsell / Work by: David Jakob, Ruochen Fu, Julias Mackh

2024 – 2025

nature morte

extension of the water department building

Competition

The proposal was to continue the typological logic of the existing building. But, to ensure ecological continuity on the ground (small mammals, insects and other small inhabitants of the earth), the extension was planned on posts, leaving the ground completely free. Not compact enough, they said. Not sure that an artificial crater for concrete foundations would be more ecological. But the discussion is worthwhile.

2024, Lausanne

JNS

Transformation
direct mandate, autoconstruction
with C.Gattigo

2019 – 2020, Geneva [GE]

Chapel
Direct mandate
with Ateliers Ecoles de Camp Perrin,

M. Meier Valentin, Jean-Christophe Grosso

2015 – on hold

Haïti [HT]

Centre Archives et Patrimoine

competition, 2nd prize

images: V.Calame & L.Bouche

2022, La Chaux-de-Fonds

Transformation
Mandat direct
avec M.Meier Valentin

2016 – 2018, Correvon [VD]

COLLEGE DES NOUTES

Competition

We were the only team among 40 participants to propose keeping the existing, fully functional school. And this against the (mainly economic) recommendations of the client. What do you call this? Suicide or coherence? Ask the jury.

2023, Crissier

Moonlight

Ecole Professionnelle Payerne

competition, 6th. prize

images: V.Calame & L.Bouche

2023, Payerne

PAV Étoile
Short-list competition
With Baukuh, LIST, Coloco,

2014, La Praille [GE]

Design for care

Medical facilities have traditionnally been visually sterile and consciously neutral.

This refurbishment of a medical practice on a very tight budget allowed (or forced?) us to negotiate with the existing structure and the technical modifications of the 1970s.

Suspended ceilings and plaster partitions have been removed, exposing the organs, veins and bones of the building. A new skin of sprayed plaster covers them like a veil, producing an inspiring surface to look at, while the practicioner is examining your body.

In the access corridor, mirrors mounted on the doors create an fascinating game of depths and counter perspectives, challenging the very classical layout and giving the patient a time to reflect before entering the medical practice itself.

with M.Meier Valentin

2015, Lausanne

Goutte Saint Mathieu

Competition

with Atelier + and DUO

2020, Geneva

Parc artisanal
Mandat direct
avec C.Portmann, R.Dunant
2017 – suspendu

Malgré une cérémonie en grande pompe, l’Union Européenne suspend le projet de micro-parc au vu des accusations de détournements de fonds et de corruption concernant le gouvernement du Prezidan Jovenel Moïse.

Moreau, Haïti [HT]

ARG

industrial, storage, craft

direct mandate

earth from the excavation and terracota sourced from the demolition process will be integrated in the raw earth bricks composing the facade. sands and gravels for the concrete will be sourced on site, allowing production, transport and movement of materials to be reduced to a minimum.

2019 – 202x, geneva

QUART Verlag

has just published a little book on SAAS.

The selection of works and texts, crafted together

with graphic designer Manon Mello, illustrates

the range and the variety of interests, realisations,

studies and competitions the office has been working on.

A good opportunity to take a stand and reflect on

10 years of architectural practice.

Guest Professorship at the TU WIEN:

The two semesters focussed on Heldenplatz

and the Ringstrasse – students projects and

reflections – have been published in a special issue

of the italian magazine AREA on the city of Wien.

Here the link to the full issue.

ABBAYE DE ST-MAURICE

competition

with Schnetzer&Puskas

image: V.Calame & L.Bouche

2022, St-Maurice

Pavillon
Mandat direct
avec M. Meier Valentin

Photos: Roman Keller
2012 – 2015, Lullier [GE]

CAMPUS EDHEA

competition

with YellowOffice

Colette

2022, Sierre

Plateforme 10

competition

with J. Løland

festival plaza

2021, Lausanne

Entwicklung Gaswerkareal und Brückenkopf West

competition

with yellowoffice & Atelier+

2021, Bern

Campus Platztor Uni St-Gall

Competition

with C. Portmann

2019-2020, St Gall

Musée International de la Réforme

transformation and renovation

with Christ&Gantenbein

2018 – 2022, Geneva [GE]

New clothing brand in Geneva having

a festive photoshoot at saas’s.

OSMAR only uses textiles sourced from donations

or from thrift shops following a strategy of re-use.

Dyes are obtained from vegetable pigments

taken from plants grown in their own garden

Extension d’une villa
Mandat direct
avec M. Meier Valentin

2015 – 2018, Chexbres [VD]

MILEANT–BORGES

Competition for the raising of 3 buildings

images: V.Calame, L.Bouche

2023, Genève

saas has been invited by Archithese

to present some recent work at

the Swiss Performance 2022 event,

October 13th. 2022, Zürich

Klima Polis vol.2

coping with urban climates

new publication by Prof.Sascha Roesler

ed. Sascha Roesler, Madlen Kobi, Lorenzo Stieger

featuring saas and C.Gattigo’s project JNS in Geneva

“Diagrams that combine weather data, indoor temperatures and thermal actions

to analyze the interactions between structural and physical adaptation to thermal conditions

in space.”

Spaces of Accumulation

RE-Cycling Workshop

Lecture at the D-ARCH, ETH

11.04.2022, Zürich

BONJOUR ZURIQUE

Vortrag im Architektur Forum

25.03.2022, 19:00, Zürich

SAAS has been invited by New Generations

to present its work at the event YEAH!

for Esch 2022 – European Capital of Culture

april 15th. 2022, Esch-sur-Alzette

Lullier

housing

2021 – 202?, Geneva [GE]

First geotechnical investigations underway

HELDENPLATZ

guest professor at the TU WIEN

2021 – 2022

Writing in Obscurity

Vortrag an dem Institut Architektur FHNW

17.11. 2021, Muttenz

Port Gitana

Competition

with L. Zelger

2020, Geneva

Villa
Mandat direct

2018 – suspendu
Camp-Perrin, Haïti [HT]

July 2021

Guillaume has been appointed

member of the FAS | BSA.

Lecture for Das Verein,

About Conditions

30.02. 2020, Basel

Consultations Grand Genève

Habiter la ville-paysage du 21e siècle.

pour la Fondation Braillard

avec BAUKUH, S. Boeri, M. Desvigne,

A. Linke, M. Guinard-Terrin, Systematica

Villa
Mandat direct
avec M. Meier Valentin

2015 – 2019, Les Diablerets [VD]

“Rahmenplan Freiraum” Inselareal

strategisches Freiraumkonzept und Regelwerk

Studienauftrag, 1. Preis, in Erarbeitung

mit DUO, Panorama AG, Daniel Wolf, Rolf Steiner

2018 – 2030, Bern [BE]

Genève, Ville et Champs
Concours 1er prix et réalisation
avec Romain Legros, M. Meier Valentin
2013 – 2014, Lancy [GE]

Luna Sul Bosforo
Ausstellungsobjekt
avec M. Meier Valentin
2016, Zürich [ZH]

saas sàrl is part of the

Disappearing Museums Project

by curator Sandino Scheidegger

view a preview of the book here

Constellations
conférence

sur l’invitation de :

Tiago P. Borges et Diogo F. Lopes

29.03.2018, FA’R Lausanne [VD]

MEHR WERK

Constellations

saas dans JAS

werk, bauen+wohnen

Still a matter of art
exposition collective

commissaires: Tiago P. Borges et Diogo F. Lopes

avec Abraha Ackermann, Conen Sigl,

Camponovo Baumgartner, Schneider Türtscher

2018, FA’R Lausanne [VD]

Absolument tout

Cycle de conférences

Invités: Marc Augé, Véronique Yersin,

Stefan Burger, Fouad Bouchoucha

avec Romain Legros, Manon Mello
2014, Lancy [GE]

Campus Pôle Santé
Concours
avec C.Portmann, Atelier +

2019, Sion [VS]

Ambassade de Suisse

Concours
avec  C.Portmann

2018, Addis Abeba [ET]

Cycle d’Orientation Balexert
Concours
avec  Atelier +, S. Le Dortz

2017, Vernier [GE]

Extension du siège de l’UIT
Concours, finaliste
avec Léonie Zelger
2017, Place des Nations [GE]

Projet Grand Saconnex

Concours, 3ème rang, 1ère mention

avec Atelier + , M. Meier Valentin, MS Bern,

2016, Le Grand Saconnex [GE]

Unithèque
Concours
avec M. Meier Valentin
2015, Lausanne [VD]

Opération Les Vernets
Concours, finaliste
avec M. Meier Valentin
2013 – 2014, Les Vernets [GE]

Ancien Manège
Concours, 2ème prix
avec M. Meier Valentin
2014, Genève [GE]

Cardinal blueFactory
Concours, 5ème prix
Cardinal et Decumanus
2012 – 2013, Fribourg [FR]

saas sàrl produces architecture since 2012. Drawn or built, this architecture means to be vital, understandable, powerful, multiple in its lecture but simple in its appearance. Based on a research about plasticity and the study of proportions, it is spatial, physical and hence, built. Deeply convinced that architecture and the city are collective works, the office draws its strength equally from the interactions with users than from the professional collaborations, local or international, that might arise.
saas sàrl has so far mainly focused on questions of transformations, that be on the urban or architectural scale. Mutating urban context, jumps in scale, structural mix and complexity, morphological and typological researches are at the core of our practice. Shifting conditions and evolution are given variables and stable companions.
saas sàrl has been lucky to work for private individuals as well as collectivities, from the transformation of a single family home to the reconversion of an oil refinery. The office has been working with entities such as CICR, SIG or BONFED. Its works have been presented at the S AM Basel, at the F’AR Lausanne and the Architektur Salon in Hamburg, among others.

Guillaume Yersin (Vevey, 1981) studied Human Medicine at the University of Geneva. After obtaining a Bachelor in 2003, he then studied architecture at the ETH Zürich and at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. After experiences at Lacaton & Vassal in Paris and AMO in Rotterdam, he obtained a MSc. in Architecture from ETHZ in 2009. In 2012, he founded his own practice saas sàrl in Geneva. In parallel, Guillaume maintains his academical engagement as intense as possible. From 2012 to 2016, he has been a teaching assistant to the Prof. Christ & Gantenbein at ETH Zürich. He has been repeatedly invited as a guest critic at EPFL, HEAD, ETHZ and HEIA-Fribourg. In 2021, Guillaume was invited as a guest professor at TU Wien. He is currently Guest Professor at the FHNW in Basel.

TEAM

PRESENT

Isabelle Cochevelou, arch. EPFL

Andrea Ishii, arch. EPFL

Guillaume Yersin, arch. ETHZ | SIA | FAS

PAST

Emile Corthay

Sebastien Le Dortz

Floriane Fol

Foucauld Huard

Mona Lecoultre

Michael Meier

Elli Moustaka