Building with courtyard
Residential architecture plays a fundamental role in the construction of the urban landscape. This public dimension needs to be linked to basic standards of use, and thus requires a perfect coherence between residential typology and urban design. The U-shaped layout and its two points of emergence that we propose here combine two North / South buildings whose vertical cores are connected to central corridors, and an intermediate building served by deck access. The two circulation cores located in the internal angles and the presence of the decks on the north facade thereby serve to effectively distance the rooms located on the cornered facades.
Thresholds, porches and canopies
The project is characterised by the height difference between the courtyard and the public spaces, induced by the presence of a semi-underground car park level. This situation overlooking the public spaces led us to increase the points of access and topographical transitions, to ensure a strong relationship between the site and the adjacent public areas. The main entrance, located on the roadside, is designed in the form of a monumental porch, its width corresponding to the width of the courtyard.
Alcoves
All the large dwellings benefit from a tripartite organisation of the living areas, with kitchens given pride of place, located in alcoves in the bows of the buildings. Forming a rectangle of approximately 40 m², the living room, dining room, kitchen and terrace each benefit from a dedicated space, but are integrated into a much larger entity, widely open to the surrounding city.
Minerality
Our projects seek to enhance the simplicity and quality of its construction materials. The facades are made of exposed concrete, simply coated with a coloured and diluted mineral sealant. The minerality of the facades, whose tones echo those of the existing buildings (ochre, earth, brick, etc.), is enhanced by the blue colour of the handrail, and by the anodised aluminium fittings. This chromatic range thereby revives the history of a Nantes-style classicism in which stone and rendered facades are often combined with metal parts in more vivid tones.
