Projects – büro vor ort

Bureau Giacometti

Renovation consulting at Giacomettistr. 2+4 in Bern 2020–2026

In summer 2020, the real estate company Emil Merz AG acquired the two residential buildings at Giacomettistrasse 2 and 4, comprising a total of 87 apartments. The buildings were in need of renovation. Due to the condition of the buildings and new market demands, Emil Merz AG soonafter the acquisition to carry out a complete renovation. However, instead of evicting the tenants, the owner decided to carry out the renovation in a socially responsible manner and to allow the tenants to return to their homes after the renovation for a rent they could afford. This was important because the residents of the entire street are closely connected and deeply rooted in the neighbourhood. For many, Giacomettistrasse has been their home for decades. Thus, Bureau Giacometti was created as an on-site point of contact for tenants during the renovation of the two properties. Since mid-2020, it has been supporting the renovation project and handling communication on behalf of the planning office and the owner.

The Bureau Giacometti is available once a week on the ground floor to hold consultation hours for tenants. It arranges regular meetings with the owner and planners and works closely with the property management company. It is actively used by residents and is also well known in the neighbourhood. This creates a direct point of contact where residents can turn to with their uncertainties, fears and concerns, laying the foundation for a healthy, trusting neighbourhood.

As the main stakeholders of the housing project, tenants are continuously supported throughout the renovation process by Bureau Giacometti. They are kept fully informed about decision-making processes, timelines and the status of the work. Targeted communication formats strengthen the dialogue between residents, the owner and the planning team. Consciously celebrating milestones during the renovation promotes social interaction, creates identification with the project and strengthens cohesion among the residents. This lays a solid foundation for a long-term, functioning and vibrant neighbourhood.

The expertise of the residents is specifically used to integrate desired architectural and technical improvements into the renovation planning at an early stage. The relevant needs, experiences and suggestions are systematically recorded and evaluated by means of surveys and discussed in joint meetings. Within this framework, the results are handed over to the planners and discussed jointly so that they can serve as a sound basis for further planning.

Using various participation formats, existing tenants were deliberately given creative freedom during an intensive ‘participation month’. In the areas of communal use, residents were able to develop their own ideas, formulate positions and set priorities. Through surveys, workshops and preliminary discussions, this shared responsibility was made visible and the residents were given an active role in the process. The aim of the participation was to enable collective decisions and to strengthen identification with the jointly developed solutions in the long term.

Close cooperation with various social organisations in the neighbourhood (social neighbourhood work, social counselling, family centre) creates the opportunity to triage complex situations with professional agencies. In addition, the neighbourhood is kept informed about the renovation process and events in the building via a constantly updated information board. Among other things, these efforts increase the tolerance of local residents, which is necessary during a construction phase, and make the project well-known and popular, which greatly facilitates the allocation of apartments.

All tenants at Giacomettistrasse 2 and 4 were offered temporary accommodation during the renovation and were later allocated a suitable flat in the newly renovated building. To ensure that the newly renovated flats remained affordable for tenants, an income-based rent model was created for this project. This means that the majority of existing tenants can continue to live in the two properties. The remaining flats were seamlessly reoccupied after the renovation, as many residents had heard about the project over the years and there was great interest in the neighbourhood for vacant apartments.

The city of Bern highlights the Bureau Giacometti project and the renovation of Giacomettistrasse 2 and 4 as a positive example of social sustainability. The architecture magazine hochparterre does the same. And for the owner, Emil Merz AG, the project is also a success: the support provided during the renovation and direct communication with the residents on site led to virtually friction-free operations on the construction site, widespread acceptance of the renovation in the neighbourhood, a minimum of complaints and a significant reduction in tenant turnover.

The sustainable result is a renovated residential building that reconciles the needs of the tenants with the planning process, the planners and the economic possibilities of the owner.