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Industrial & commercial

A building handed over once it works

Industrial buildings, production workshops, laboratories and office space: these projects are dominated by technical systems and operational constraints.

  • Courtyard and glazed facade of the industrial complex upgraded for compliance in Morges

For which projects

The industrial and commercial buildings we manage

We manage projects where technical systems account for a large share of the cost.

  • An industrial building

    A fire safety compliance upgrade, phased so that the building remains operational and safe.

  • A production workshop

    Each connection is prepared as a separate operation, with its own outage date and duration.

  • A laboratory

    Technical packages coordinated: HVAC, electrical, building controls, low-voltage systems.

  • Office space

    All trades on a shared schedule: your teams move on a known date.

They have trusted us

Architects, developers, property managers, public institutions and private owners entrust us with the management of their projects in French-speaking Switzerland.

What you gain

What has to keep running keeps running

What worries youWhat we do

  1. Our building dates from before 1991.

    A survey becomes mandatory, in Geneva and in the canton of Vaud alike. If it reveals asbestos, asbestos removal comes first.

    Before pricing

  2. An outage could stop production.

    What has to keep running is identified before the works: power supplies, networks, controls, safety systems.

    Every outage planned

  3. Who answers for safety on site?

    Each contractor, for its own staff. Shared protective measures, such as scaffolding, are set out in the contracts: we see to that.

  4. We are handed a building that does not work yet.

    Testing and technical acceptance are part of the schedule, before the building is handed over.

    Technical acceptance included

  5. Our teams will discover the systems at the first breakdown.

    The as-built documentation, the memory of the building, is handed to them in time, and we train your operating teams.

    As-built drawings

Our role

What we handle on an industrial or commercial project

On a site in operation, the method first serves to protect operations: each stage is prepared with the teams who work there.

  1. The schedule

    The schedule incorporates operational constraints and testing, since commissioning determines handover.

    From the outset

  2. The works

    We organise how the works coexist with your teams and enforce safety and lockout procedures. The technical packages advance on the same schedule.

    During the works

  3. Commissioning

    Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical and control systems are tested and accepted before the building is handed over.

    Before handover

  4. Handover

    We hand over the as-built documentation and train your operating teams. Defects are then tracked until they are cleared.

    Until all defects are cleared

Business premises to refurbish?

The first conversation is without obligation: tell us about your project.

How we work

The building is not an end in itself

It must allow a business to operate. On a site in operation, coordination takes place with the site’s technical teams.

Multi-purpose building in Begnins seen from outside
  • We do not carry out any works and have no commercial ties with the contractors.
  • A single point of contact, from the first meeting to the end of the warranty period.
  • You receive the information as it is, even when it is bad news.
  • You know at all times where your project stands, without having to ask.

Projects

Our industrial and commercial projects

In Begnins, the construction of a multi-purpose building; in Morges, an industrial complex upgraded for compliance while operations continue.

View industrial and commercial projects

Site in operation

Refurbishing your premises without stopping operations? It can be done.

It all starts with your constraints: which areas must remain accessible, and which systems can never stop?

Two AKB Project team members checking a technical cabinet on a roof in Chêne-Bourg
  • The phasing is built with your teams, based on these answers.
  • We manage concurrent working alongside ongoing operations.
  • Lockout procedures are followed for every intervention.
  • In Morges, an industrial complex was upgraded for compliance while operations continued.

Your questions about industrial and commercial projects

Can you refurbish our premises without stopping our operations?

It can be done, and Morges proves it: an industrial complex there was upgraded for compliance while operations continued. It all starts with your constraints. Which areas must remain accessible and which systems can never stop? The phasing of the works is built with your teams, based on these answers.

Do you handle office fit-out or refurbishment?

Yes, from initial studies to moving day. Refitting an office floor involves many trades over a short period: partitions, floors, ceilings, ventilation, electrical, low-voltage systems, then furniture. We coordinate them on a shared schedule and check early what requires a permit. In Geneva, a change to the interior layout or to the use of the premises requires one, often under the accelerated procedure. Your teams can then move on a known date.

Can you bring an industrial building into line with fire regulations?

That is the heart of the Morges project, carried out with the building occupied. The compliance upgrade follows the Swiss fire protection regulations issued by the AEAI: the 2015 edition remains in force, and a revision is in preparation. A specialist draws up the fire safety concept. We then coordinate the resulting work (compartmentation, doors, exits, detection) and phase it so that the building remains operational and safe throughout the works.

Our building dates from before 1991: what difference does asbestos make to the project?

A survey becomes mandatory. In Geneva, any intervention on parts built before 1991 requires a search for asbestos and PCBs before the works, whether or not the project is subject to a permit; in the canton of Vaud, the asbestos survey is attached to the permit application. If the survey reveals any, asbestos removal comes before the works and weighs on the schedule and budget. It is better to know before the works are priced.

How do you connect new systems to those already running?

By getting to know them first. What has to keep running during the works is identified before they begin: power supplies, networks, controls, safety systems. Each connection is then prepared as a separate operation, with its own outage date and duration. Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical and control systems are coordinated on the same schedule.

Who is responsible for safety on site?

Each contractor, for its own staff. The Construction Work Ordinance (OTConst) requires it to have a safety plan before the works begin and a competent person on site. Protective measures used by several contractors, such as scaffolding or guardrails, must be set out in the works contracts. We have them written in, then see that they are respected.

What does the file handed over at the end of the works contain?

The as-built documentation brings together what your teams need to operate the building and enforce the warranties: as-built drawings, test and handover reports, manuals and technical data sheets for the systems, maintenance plans, contractor warranties and a list of their contact details. It is the memory of the building. Handed over in time, it saves you from discovering a system at the first breakdown.

Let us talk about your project

Describe your project in a few lines. We will get back to you within 48 working hours to arrange a first conversation, without obligation.

The building and the planned works, then where the project stands: design, permit, construction.

Do you have drawings or project documents? Attach them below.

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    Our other project types

    • Residential

      New villas and apartment buildings, designed for comfort and quality of life, with execution kept under control at every stage.

    • Energy renovation

      Upgrading existing buildings and improving their energy performance, to add lasting value to property assets.

    • Retail & luxury

      High-end boutiques and showrooms: finishes judged down to the last detail and a fixed opening date, in keeping with the brand’s image.