La Pralée - Onex

In the up-and-coming La Pralée residential quarter in Onex, Steiner was appointed by a housing co-operative to erect an energy-efficient building meeting the Swiss Minergie standard. The brief called for 24 new, high-grade apartments to be offered to future tenants on favourable terms.

Despite the spatial constraints, all units receive ample daylight thanks to the open window fronts and include either a balcony or garden. High-spec materials and fittings were specified for the interiors. At the same time, the co-operative made every effort to offer the new apartments to its members at affordable rents. Steiner made a major contribution to keeping costs low: the installation of a heat exchanger with outdoor sensors eliminated the need for the thermostatic floor heating controls originally planned for all living spaces.