bluefactory reaches key milestone

BFF SA and Smallcity Fribourg SA have signed a DDP (Droit Distinct et Permanent) constituting the right to own, use and construct buildings in bluefactory’s perimeter C, located along the Route de la Glâne in Fribourg (see plan below). An architectural and engineering design mandate (MEP) has been launched in parallel to this key step in the site’s development.

(from left to right) Jacques Boschung, Xavier Jeanneret, Damiano Lepori et Philippe Jemmely at the signing of the memorandum of association.

 “The project includes some 41,000 m² of floor space, almost half of which is devoted to housing,” says Damiano Lepori, President of Smallcity Fribourg SA. “Around 210 rental units, representing 19,500 m², will be side-by-side with multi-purpose areas, including shops, offices, laboratories and spaces for training and innovation.”

 The plot’s development is the outcome of BFF SA’s call for Swiss investors. The project is being led by the competition winner, a new company called Smallcity Fribourg SA which brings together four entrepreneurs and investors, Jean-Bernard Buchs, Daniel Bulliard, Damiano Lepori (President) and Xavier Jeanneret (Vice-President).

A two-round procedure for a landmark project

Aiming to ensure exemplary quality of architecture and urban planning, Smallcity Fribourg SA launched a parallel study mandate in September 2026 under the leadership of Urban Project SA. The first round brings together five teams of architects and will be completed by the end of the year. Two teams will then be selected to further their proposals with a pool of engineers and specialists. The second round concludes in spring 2027, before the winning project is named in the summer. Work is scheduled to start in 2029.

This approach aims to bring out innovative and sustainable architecture, reconciling economic viability and compliance with the Bluefactory Charter. Focus is on carbon footprint reduction, the circular economy, reuse of materials and building energy performance.

Perimeter C progress marks a new stage in bluefactory’s phased development of the six-hectare site. It follows the initial achievements of Perimeter A, notable for the completion of Building B and ongoing construction of the Smart Living Lab.

“In Smallcity Fribourg SA, we have found a partner and a neighbour with whom we share the ambition to create a lively new model for urban life,” says Jacques Boschung, President of BFF SA. “The residential component strengthens the site’s functional diversity and its integration into Fribourg’s urban fabric. It marks an important development for bluefactory, underlining its continuing transformation into a district where economic activities, research, training and housing coexist on a daily basis.”