‘Motion Matters’ Exhibition / UNStudio

Currently on view until July 4th at the Aedes Gallery in Berlin, UNStudio‘s ‘Motion Matters’ Exhibition presents ten of UNStudio’s milestone projects, in addition to conveying their perspective on 25 years of architectural production, their current approach to architectural practice and the wider discourse that determines design challenges today. For many years UNStudio has been investigating  the potential of the temporary installation as an experimental testing ground for manifold architectural concerns and  it is these investigations that form the basis of their exhibit. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Ben van Berkel: “When we talk of ‘motion’ within architecture we not only refer to buildings and their potential effects, but also to shifts, or twists in the whole, integrated practice of the profession; we talk of the mobile forces which engender change and where the future of architecture may lie. ‘Motion’ therefore also encapsulates the past, the present and the possible future of the profession.

Motion

The effects of situation, light, color, and material on viewer perception are tested in a spatial installation of shifting perspectives. Within a trajectory of transitional spaces, optical illusions and trompe l’oeil effects are brought to contemporary structures, generating an experience that negotiates the ideal and the relational. The many interactions possible between building, programme and user which can engage the public in a dynamic and challenging confrontation is a key element in UNStudio’s designs. The exhibit itself is not merely a showcase, nor an object to passively observe, but instead interacts with the visitor whilst simultaneously demanding active participation in order to create a spatial and dynamic experience.

Matters

At an almost 1:1 scale the visitor can, as it were, step into the projects on display: these include the Burnham Pavilion (Millennium Park, Chicago, USA), the Centre for Virtual Engineering – ZVE (Fraunhofer Institute, Stuttgart, Germany),  the Theatre Agora (Lelystad, Netherlands), the Galleria Centercity (Cheonan, Korea), the Arnhem Central – Platform Roofs (Arnhem, Netherlands), the MUMUTH Music Theatre (Graz, Austria), the Holiday Home (ICA, Philadelphia, USA), the Education Executive Agency & Tax Offices (Groningen, Netherlands), the Haus am Weinberg (Stuttgart, Germany), and the Mercedes-Benz Museum (Stuttgart, Germany).

Knowledge Based

In addition to the primary focus on these key projects, a more detailed view is generated by means of five thematic threads which bind the projects together along a three-dimensional ribbon which meanders through the exhibition space. These threads consist of numerous small images which afford the reading of the various relationships between the exhibited projects within a larger context of inspiration, debate and realisation processes and provide insight into the knowledge driven nature of UNStudio’s practice.

For more information on the exhibition, please visit here.

'Motion Matters' Exhibition / UNStudio © Christian Richters
'Motion Matters' Exhibition / UNStudio © Christian Richters
'Motion Matters' Exhibition / UNStudio © Christian Richters
'Motion Matters' Exhibition / UNStudio © Christian Richters

'Motion Matters' Exhibition / UNStudio originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 21 May 2013.

send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?

The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos

Street House The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Each contemporary house has its own particularities. By respecting a simple design line, that makes it look spacious and breezy you can obtain a private piece of tranquil paradise. Most of the times, a contemporary house is ‘seasoned’ with a gorgeous and relaxing courtyard. For those moments of relaxation, mellow and unforgettable. There’s no better place like home, isn’t that what everybody keeps saying? Of course you want your home as gorgeous and as personal as possible!
Swimming Pool2 The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos

Let’s take a look at the Street House, a contemporary volumetric residence, with a street that runs lengthwise it, from the house’s entrance to the garden. The project was defined by Seinfeld Arquitectos in Lima, Peru and responds to the client’s needs. The client requested a living space that combines joyfully the twi ambiences, the interior and the exterior. The result: a house that shows a mild perspective upon life, embraces the idea of the seamless transition between environments, transparence, an outdoor mini-kitchen ideal for barbecue, cuts outs and hallways that serve as transitory areas between the interior and the exterior.

Wonderful Courtyard The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Spacious Interior The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Bright Interior3 The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Kitchen3 The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Transition The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Grey Area The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Staircase2 The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Details Staircase White Elements The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Details The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  White Stairs The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Wooden Floors1 The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Details Around Street House The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Bathroom 1 The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Details White Bathroom The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  White Bathroom The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  House Plan3 The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Details House Plan1 The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Sections The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Different Section2 The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Elevation The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Another Elevation The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos  Side Section1 The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos

You’re reading The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos originally posted on Freshome.

The post The Interaction Between Spaces: Contemporary House in Lima by Seinfeld Arquitectos appeared first on Freshome.com.

Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates

Architects: James Carpenter Design Associates Inc
Location: New York, NY
Architect In Charge: Foster and Partners
Design Team: Johanna Kindvall, Jonathan Forsythe
Year: 2006
Photographs: Andreas Keller

Architect Of Record: Adamson Associates Architects
Design Principal: Torsten Schlauersbach, Richard Kress
Water Consultant: Fluidity Design Consultants
Cast Glass Fabrication: John Lewis Glass

In 2001, the Hearst Corporation appointed Foster and Partners to expand 959 Eighth Avenue, a building designed in 1926 by Joseph Urban and George C. Post for William Randolph Hearst.  Foster and Partners’ tower design reunites the Hearst Corporation’s multiple media interests under one roof.  The new tower preserves the landmark’s original façade while creating a technological and ecological structure that extends the original building aspirations.

An inclined plane traversed diagonally by escalators, connects the lobby entrance with the main lobby and elevator floor thirty feet above. JCDA was asked to design a water feature along this plane. Cast glass was selected as a medium for the waterfall so that its profile and resulting internal reflections could be designed to redirect light. By controlling the water temperature the water feature is a functional method of controlling temperature and humidity within the vast atrium space.

The diagrid of the building’s structure is reminiscent of cut diamonds. JCDA took this idea to explore the idea of controlling the incoming daylight. The complexity of the cast glass form allowed for a high level of light control through the glass’ internal reflections.

The overall layout of the water cascade corresponds with the major diagonal grid of the building. Staggered joints between the glass planks follow the diagonal grid of the support framing below. Accent blocks with polished surfaces matching the Ice Falls incline rhythmically accentuate the diagrid at these staggered joints, while providing points of mirror-like reflection within the field of kinetically activated water reflections.

The waterfall consists of cast glass blocks whose special profiles create an even and controlled flow of water. The large volume of the lobby is dissolved in the luminous plane of water and glass. The rays of light from the clerestories at the elevator floor are captured inside the facetted cast glass accentuating the beauty and brightness of the water’s energy. The crystalline beauty of the glass and the flowing water is the result a series of internal reflections and refractive turbulences, creating the phenomenon of luminosity.

Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc © Andreas Keller
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc © Andreas Keller
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc © Andreas Keller
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc © Andreas Keller
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc © Andreas Keller
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc © Andreas Keller
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc © Andreas Keller
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc © Andreas Keller
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc © Andreas Keller
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc © Andreas Keller
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc © Andreas Keller
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc Floor Plan
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc Detail
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc Detail
Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates Inc Detail

Ice Falls / James Carpenter Design Associates originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 21 May 2013.

send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?

Great Fen Visitor Center Winning Proposal / Shiro Studio

Shiro Studio, in collaboration with Mesh Partnership and Equals Consulting were just announced by RIBA as the winning team of the Great Fen Visitor Center competition. Sitting beautifully within the expansive landscape, the team had skillfully incorporated elements of the traditional Fenland building typology within an exciting contemporary visitor center design. The silvery and bog-oak black exterior, shimmering with the play of Fenland light, would contrast markedly with, and complement, its spacious, light-filled interiors and panoramic views onto the surrounding landscape. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Great Fen is an internationally acclaimed vision, one of sweeping scale and ambition.  Over the next 50-100 years, more than 3,000ha of largely arable land will be transformed into a mosaic of habitat: pools, ponds and ditches; reedbed; fen, bog and marsh; wet grassland; dry grassland; woodland and scrub.  The restored landscape will be created around and between Holme Fen National Nature Reserve and Woodwalton Fen National Nature Reserve – precious fragments of wild fen that are home to rare and endangered species of fenland plants and animals.  The new Visitor Center will be the Great Fen’s hub – an essential part of the evolving fenland landscape, to stimulate exploration and serve its visitors to the highest standards.

Members of the Judging Panel commented:

‘I am thrilled and excited that this outstanding design by the Shiro Studio team has won the competition.  It embodies the spirit of the Great Fen  with sensitivity, elegance,  and imagination.  We will create a truly special  building here, one that is warm and welcoming, one that local people and visitors alike will enjoy using,  and one that will resonate with the fantastic Fenland landscape being formed around it.  The Project Partners were hugely impressed with the  Shiro Studio team’s response to the competition brief, and to their understanding of and empathy with the vision of the Great Fen.  We are all  looking forward to working with Andrea Morgante and his colleagues to create this beautiful building, which will be a new beating heart at the center of the Great Fen’. -Kate Carver (Great Fen Project Manager)

‘It was a great honour chairing the Judging Panel for this ambitious design competition. The anonymous first stage attracted a phenomenal number of submissions and it was a challenging task arriving at the final shortlist.  The standard of the Stage 2 submissions was very high but a winner was selected by consensus following a very comprehensive judging process.  In the end it was felt that the design proposals by Shiro Studio and their team best reflected the spirit of the Great Fen project and that their design proposals demonstrated great intelligence, flair, flexibility and sensitivity.’ - Cindy Walters (Walters & Cohen Architects)

RIBA Competitions managed the competition on behalf of the Great Fen – a partnership which comprises the Environment Agency, Huntingdonshire District Council, Middle Level Commissioners, Natural England and The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.  

Great Fen Visitor Center Winning Proposal / Shiro Studio Courtesy of Shiro Studio
Great Fen Visitor Center Winning Proposal / Shiro Studio Courtesy of Shiro Studio
Great Fen Visitor Center Winning Proposal / Shiro Studio Courtesy of Shiro Studio
Great Fen Visitor Center Winning Proposal / Shiro Studio Courtesy of Shiro Studio
Great Fen Visitor Center Winning Proposal / Shiro Studio Courtesy of Shiro Studio
Great Fen Visitor Center Winning Proposal / Shiro Studio Courtesy of Shiro Studio
Great Fen Visitor Center Winning Proposal / Shiro Studio Courtesy of Shiro Studio
Great Fen Visitor Center Winning Proposal / Shiro Studio aerial
Great Fen Visitor Center Winning Proposal / Shiro Studio floor plan
Great Fen Visitor Center Winning Proposal / Shiro Studio detail

Great Fen Visitor Center Winning Proposal / Shiro Studio originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 21 May 2013.

send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?

Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati

Architects: LPzR architetti associati
Location: Marghera 32, Milano, Italy
Architect In Charge: Gabriele Pranzo-Zaccaria
Design Team: Gabriele Pranzo-Zaccaria, Luca Gobbo, Chiara Pranzo-Zaccaria, Federico Reyneri
Area: 500 sqm
Year: 2009
Photographs: Chiara Pranzo-Zaccaria, Gabriele Pranzo-Zaccaria

Construction Supervisor: Gabriele Pranzo-Zaccaria
Structural Engineering: Nicola Boreatti
Client: MD Group
Main Contractor: NICA costruzioni s.r.l.


Context
The building is located in Milan (Italy), close to a well known shopping district. It is a typical sixties warehouse, placed in a courtyard.

Project
The project is about the complete restyling and refurbishing of the ground floor of the building. 5 luxury multi-level apartments take place in the center of Milan. Continuous spaces, complex perceptions, transparent and reflective materials give a feeling of lightness and volumetric expansion. Steel, glass, epoxy resins, last-generation composite materials are used for these contemporary, minimalistic spaces.

Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati © Chiara Pranzo-Zaccaria, Gabriele Pranzo-Zaccaria
Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati © Chiara Pranzo-Zaccaria, Gabriele Pranzo-Zaccaria
Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati © Chiara Pranzo-Zaccaria, Gabriele Pranzo-Zaccaria
Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati © Chiara Pranzo-Zaccaria, Gabriele Pranzo-Zaccaria
Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati © Chiara Pranzo-Zaccaria, Gabriele Pranzo-Zaccaria
Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati Before
Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati © Chiara Pranzo-Zaccaria, Gabriele Pranzo-Zaccaria
Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati © Chiara Pranzo-Zaccaria, Gabriele Pranzo-Zaccaria
Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati © Chiara Pranzo-Zaccaria, Gabriele Pranzo-Zaccaria
Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati © Chiara Pranzo-Zaccaria, Gabriele Pranzo-Zaccaria
Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati Section
Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati Plans

Light Loft / LPzR architetti associati originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 21 May 2013.

send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?

Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects

Architects: Paul de Ruiter Architects
Location: Bloemendaal, The Netherlands
Project Architect: Paul de Ruiter
Project Leader: Chris Collaris
Area: 489 sqm
Year: 2011
Photographs: Tim Van de Velde

Structural Engineer: Quinten R. Wildeboer
Contractor: Scholz Groep, IJmuiden
Interior Architect: i29 interior architects (i.c.w. Paul de Ruiter Architects)
Landscape Architect: Kamsteeg Tuinen

From the very start it was clear that the landscape around the villa should be preserved as much as possible. A basement was created for the house and the ground floor is semi-positioned in the slope of the hill. The first floor towers above the partially glazed ground floor and the undulating dune landscape. Both the northerly and southerly facades of the first floor are largely made of glass, while the easterly and westerly facades have a more closed character. The closed facade areas on the first floor are made of coloured, sustainable timber.

The glass areas on the ground floor and first floor have exceptionally large sliding components, with the moving parts in light oak. The details of the glass styles and the upper and lower lines have been kept to a minimum. The large glass facades ensure a connection between outdoors and indoors; contact with nature is tangible throughout the house. At the same time, the patio in the heart of the villa provides maximum daylight in all the rooms.

Special attention is devoted to energy in Villa V. An efficient and compact structure has been designed with excellent insulation. The available energy is used effectively, there is geothermal energy storage, a heat pump and solar collectors on the roof, which is covered with moss sedum. Only natural materials have been used in the building. For example, the facade finishing on the first floor is made of Waxedwood sustainable timber.

The moving parts are made of French oak. All the interior elements, including the walls, the cupboards in the children’s rooms and the fireplace, are made of veneered plywood. The wood used at the entrance and the garage has a special origin: it comes from an old ship that was found at a demolition company in North Brabant and which was bought in its entirety and used in the building.

Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects © Tim Van de Velde
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects Plan
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects Plan
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects Plan
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects Site Plan
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects Section
Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects Section

Villa V / Paul de Ruiter Architects originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 20 May 2013.

send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?

Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner

Located at the mouth of Marseille’s World Heritage-listed harbor, the Vieux Port Pavilion, designed by Foster + Partners, provides a new sheltered events space on the eastern edge of the port. Bringing new focus to the city, these photographs by Edmund Sumner demonstrate the stainless steel canopy’s ability to amplify and reflect the surrounding movement of the harbor, creating a spectacle that encourages pedestrians to linger. Since its opening early this year, the project is truly an invitation to the people of Marseille to enjoy and use this grand space for events, markets and celebrations once again. A complete gallery of Sumner’s images can be viewed after the break.

Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner
Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner © Edmund Sumner

Vieux Port Pavilion / Foster + Partners, Photos by Edmund Sumner originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 20 May 2013.

send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?

School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects

Architects: Tekhnê Architects
Location: Montrottier, France
Area: 1,465 sqm
Year: 2011
Photographs: Jérôme Ricolleau

Electricity, Water, Gas: ITF
Wood Structures: Sylva Conseil
Concrete Structures: DPI
Acoustics: EAI
Quantity Surveyors: Poncet

The authorities’ bold decision to build a new kindergarten and primary school in the heart of Montrottier was a result of their desire to give this medieval village a new lease of life, and to recentre its development.

Key to the success of the venture was the availability of a site which, though steeply sloping (with a 9 m difference in height between the upper and lower boundaries), was the right size, and also close to the crèche, library and cinema. Seen from the surrounding undulating landscape, the new building embraces the slope, and is integrated into the general silhouette of the hilltop bastion. It adds to the overall morphological unity, and notably the density of the ensemble, while also affirming its contemporary character with a distinctive wooden form in a granite setting.

The separation of the complex into two blocks (one for the kindergarten, the other for the primary school) is in keeping with the topography. And the classrooms are set above the flat, sheltered playgrounds in such a way that the landscape enters into them, so to speak, with spectacular views off into the distance. The project was enthusiastically backed by the authorities. It can boast of advanced environmental features, like all of Tekhnê’s designs, and does not rely on ostentatious effects.

There is a long, narrow profile that follows a north-north-east / south-south-west axis, with a north-facing slope. The dominant winds are cool and westerly, and there is a favourable orientation in relation to the sun. The utilisation of the outside spaces has been optimised.

The complex fits in closely with the nature of the site and its contours. The facades of its 2 rectangular sections, though not exactly parallel, face broadly south-east and north-west. They are unfussy in the way they perform their functions.

In order to raise the kindergarten to the level of the square, a base was constructed on Chemin de Gouttevine. It includes a municipal car park, which also makes a financial contribution to the operation.

The primary school is constructed on 2 levels, with superimposed walkways that allow the passage of air and light in both summer and winter. The classrooms make use of the incident sunlight, while benefitting from the calm of the surrounding farms and forests, and also avoiding the risk of overheating.

A glazed gallery offers views from the entrance to the complex on the square, and links up the 2 sections of the complex, notably with the shared lobby on the northern side of the primary school. In order to give the project the desired visibility, the kindergarten playground and the gable of the multi-purpose space were incorporated into the square.

The base of the project is in reinforced concrete, and it is integrated into the adjoining walls and flights of steps. Above it, the frames, facings and roof structure are in wood. The passageways, which also contribute to the thermal properties, illumination and acoustics of the classrooms and workshops, rise up above the northern side of the complex. Their inclined roofs are equipped with photovoltaic panels that offset some of the overall energy consumption.

The sunlit facades have large bay windows in a varied configuration, integrated into the regular pattern of the wood frame and the horizontal weatherboarding. Some of them are fitted with fixed horizontal slats, or screens that modulate the temperature inside the passageways as well as the illumination and the thermal conditions. The fronts of the classrooms, with their salient surrounding frames, have floor-to-ceiling and double-pane windows that alternate with vertical weatherboarding.

School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects © Jérôme Ricolleau
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects © Jérôme Ricolleau
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects © Jérôme Ricolleau
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects © Jérôme Ricolleau
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects © Jérôme Ricolleau
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects © Jérôme Ricolleau
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects © Jérôme Ricolleau
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects © Jérôme Ricolleau
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects © Jérôme Ricolleau
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects © Jérôme Ricolleau
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects © Jérôme Ricolleau
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects Plan
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects Plan
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects Plan
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects Site Plan
School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects Section

School in Montrottier / Tekhnê Architects originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 20 May 2013.

send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?