Today, property developers and architects are looking for independent project management and construction management services. Faced with difficult market conditions, small to medium-sized projects need greater responsiveness, financial transparency and proximity in order to come to fruition. That's what Bativert is all about. For your new-build or refurbishment projects, we can manage your studies from the outset, and monitor construction through to delivery. We put at your service an integrated team of experienced engineers, site managers and technicians, as well as a network of carefully selected partners and craftsmen. Here are five questions to Nicolas Salgado, Bativert's General Planning Manager, about our company's range of services.
Nicolas, why is the "audit" offer part of Bativert's value proposition?
We provide solutions at every stage of the construction or renovation process, in response to global or partial needs for technical support and/or management. As a result, we are regularly consulted by architects and project owners on safety and environmental standardization analyses. It's a skill our customers greatly appreciate. For example, we are currently auditing the general condition of a sixty-unit apartment building in La Praille, in the canton of Geneva. This involves assessing environmental and fire standards, waterproofing and structural rehabilitation work. Similarly, we recently carried out an energy audit of a seventeen-storey tower at Cointrin, in collaboration with our partner Signa-Terre SA. Our mission was completed with the creation of a project based on three financial scenarios. Energy is a major issue in Switzerland. However, we are often asked to extend our study to other subjects, such as safety, HVAC equipment, space optimization and aesthetics. We coordinate the various parties involved, synthesize their analyses, quantify them and ensure that they are easy to understand for the end customer.
Is costing a growing expectation in the market?
The Bativert model means providing support throughout the construction/conversion or renovation process, with a precise view of costs. Our customers, especially architects, appreciate our support in budget assessment, as we offer them alternatives in response to technical challenges and planning constraints. Today, we are carrying out around twenty evaluation projects on behalf of clients, architects and general contractors in the Lake Geneva region. For them, it's a guarantee of objectivity and the supply of realistic, tried-and-tested solutions that respect the architectural signature.
Why has project management assistance become such an important part of the construction market?
In the design phase, it helps to make the architecture/budget/planning equation viable. When we act as project management consultants, we represent the customer and defend his interests independently in dealings with administrative authorities, architects and other parties involved. We take part in every stage of the project, reporting on progress and ensuring that quality is in line with contractual commitments. We are currently working on a project to restructure a 30,000 m2 contemporary art center. In collaboration with the operator, we have formalized the requirements in terms of surface area, functionality and technical equipment for this venue, which welcomes a vast public every day for temporary and permanent exhibitions.
And in the field, are you called upon to provide construction management services?
Construction management is our core business. It's a particularly attractive service for owners or architects looking for a field reference to ensure impeccable, independent execution. We offer an à la carte service with a quality/price ratio in line with the best Swiss construction standards. We are currently managing four sites for private owners, in the Lavaux region, in Anières on the shores of Lake Geneva, in Vendœuvres and again in Lancy. For the latter, we are managing the replacement of the glass surfaces in the atrium of an office building. Covered by a glass dome, the interior facades had to be removed in favor of a temporary installation, to be reassembled with materials meeting environmental and fire-protection standards, all without interrupting the building's activity. In all four projects, we were involved in the design phase, which greatly facilitated financial optimization and planning. Finally, we are in charge of construction management for a major construction program in the canton of Vaud, on behalf of a major player in the real estate market. This kind of technical subcontracting is highly appreciated by large structures, which often need expertise to back up their own staff.
How do you see the market shaping up in the short term?
Upgrading, renovating and transforming built heritage represents a huge challenge for property owners, in view of the Swiss government's environmental objectives for 2030-2050. I believe that this type of project will become a priority in the sector, calling for specific skills and opening up new fields of technological intervention. Indeed, we are seeing an increase in the demand for budgeting in this field, and are happy to assist in competitions in which our architectural and project management clients are involved.