At Aarbergstrasse 72 in Biel, a health center is being built with a focus on geriatric care and specialized outpatient medical care. As an easily accessible contact point for the treatment of chronic illnesses as well as a provider of other uses in the health and social sectors, the “Maison de la santé et de la prévention” closes the gaps in local care created by the relocation of the hospital center from Biel to Brügg.
The team led by Biel-based architects :mlzd won the study commission, with Lüchinger+Meyer supporting the design work of façade planning. The jury praised the unmistakable originality of the winning project “LUMIÈRE“. Wrapped in a new type of façade cladding made of photovoltaic modules, the new building does justice both to the identity-creating architectural expression required in the program and to the high and multifaceted sustainability demands of the client.
In fact, the designers have succeeded in developing a building envelope that combines design elegance and function almost symbiotically. As a multifunctional layer, the fine mesh protects against unwanted glimpses into the treatment rooms, generates electricity with solar energy, protects the building from solar heat gain in summer, and also forms an architectural element with its articulation and materiality.