In 2017, KKAA won the international competition “Résidence étudiante du Grand Morillon” organized by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland. This brief requested a proposal for a 700 beds student housing building. Besides the various types of apartments, there was the need for public and common spaces – common kitchens, laundry rooms, sports facilities, library, study areas, cafeteria, etc.-
© Adrien Barakat
We wanted to avoid the usual vertical program segregation (of public facilities on the ground floor and apartments on the above floors) that heavily depends on elevator circulations. Instead, we proposed an ascendant promenade “carved” into the building’s volume, which would allow pedestrian access to all floors, from the ground floor all the way up to the rooftops. All the necessary public facilities would be allocated along this promenade.
© Erieta Attali
In this way, the architecture encourages a more walking-conscious lifestyle and provokes encounters between its inhabitants. The hope is to offer a community-like experience to all these hundreds of students who will be coming from very different origins and that will be cohabitating here for the years to come.
Project Info:
Architects: Kengo Kuma and Associates
Area: 30767 m²
Year: 2021
Photographs: Erieta Attali, Adrien Barakat, Javier Villar
Madeline Brooks is a Projects Editor at Arch2O, where she has been shaping and refining architectural content since March 2024. With over a decade of experience in editorial work, she has curated, revised, and published an array of projects covering architecture, urbanism, and public space design. A graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Madeline brings a strong academic foundation and a discerning editorial eye to each piece she oversees. Since joining Arch2O, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the platform’s editorial direction, with a focus on sustainability, social relevance, and cutting-edge design. Madeline excels at translating complex architectural ideas into clear, engaging stories that resonate with both industry professionals and general readers. She works closely with architects, designers, and global contributors to ensure every project is presented with clarity, depth, and compelling visual narrative. Her editorial leadership continues to elevate Arch2O’s role in global architectural dialogue.