Description

Densification scheme in a Parisian urban block: a measure that included closing two building gaps and several new constructions at the center of the block. The architects reprise several building typologies already existing in this urban quarter and the charming mix they establish, formulating them in a more rigorous vocabulary that is entirely their own. On two sides of the block, two seven-story buildings fill the gaps. Passing beneath these buildings, one enters an inner courtyard, which is dominated by a three-story elongated building that is linked to the adjacent buildings via low, house-like extensions. Together with the elongated slab, the extensions surround picturesque gardens to the rear for the ground-level apartments. Small, two-story houses are nestled against the boundary wall on the opposite side, dividing the elongated courtyard into intimate spaces.

The most interesting floor plan is found in the long house: all rooms are strung in a row on the courtyard side, linked by a corridor, which transitions into the living room. The same rooms are also linked on the exterior by a verandah. Thus, each room has two direct links to the outside. These loggias on the courtyard side are covered by wooden roller blinds (reminiscent of a bureau), which the occupants can open and close as needed as protection against incident sun or for privacy. The small projecting element functions as a loggia; on the third floor where large roof gardens stretch between the apartments, it is reduced to a small balcony. Like the long house, the facades of new structures closing the gaps are also clad in an external facade layer. In this case, the layer consists of perforated, individually foldable and sliding aluminum sheeting, which is also an understated reference to the narrow courtyard entrances.

---

Originally published in: Oliver Heckmann, Friederike Schneider (eds.), Floor Plan Manual Housing, fourth revised and expanded edition, Birkhäuser, 2011.