Chemin des Bosquets

Location and context: The main challenges of this project were to harmoniously integrate three buildings into a setting of villas on sloping land, while preserving a large oak tree. With a view to unity and simplicity, a repetitive design approach was adopted. Placing the three volumes in a staggered arrangement and positioning them naturally on the land allowed each building to be given a specific location, making the most of the view and its relationship with the immediate surroundings. This is the case for the building at the top of the plot, which enjoys a privileged relationship with the hundred-year-old oak tree. Each floor opens onto three sides. The south front offers a splendid view of the landscape, and the staggered layout avoids overlooking between the side façades. The context, similar to that of a residential area despite the presence of a few buildings, led to the strategy of giving each building the appearance of a large villa rather than a block of flats. To this end, each floor has its own distinct character: the ground floor with its terraces, the first floor with its loggia, and the attic, which resembles a villa on the roof.

Materiality: The project sought to highlight the materiality of the construction. The building is insulated from the outside and plastered where there are habitable (heated) surfaces, leaving the raw concrete exposed where possible, which helps to define the character of the buildings. To enrich this mineral palette, metal elements have been integrated to express the emptiness of the mass, to treat the building access surfaces, and to distinguish the attics from the roof. The same logic applies to the design of the interior common areas: exposing the concrete, sandblasted where possible, and using wood (oak) for the joinery, landing doors and guardrails.

Energy and environmental quality: This project has been awarded the Minergie label without the use of dual-flow ventilation, thanks to the installation of humidity-controlled air intakes integrated into the windows, which compensate for the air extracted from damp rooms (bathrooms and kitchen).