Hasta La Ideas

Thatching covers both the walls and roof of this wildlife museum and research centre in Beautour, France (+ slideshow).

Designed by French studio Guinée*Potin Architectes, the Centre Beautour is located in the former grounds of biologist Georges Durand (1886-1964), who spent his career studying the birds, insects, plants and mammals that he found during travels across France, Africa and the Pyrenees.

The architects have renovated the existing three-storey house and extended it by adding a single-storey structure with a thatched exterior. They also developed a landscape strategy for the grounds, intended to create a diverse local ecosystem.

“The project is neither a theme park, nor an ornamental garden,” they explained. “This really is a site-specific project, inspired by the local biodiversity, the topography and the other qualities that are proper to Beautour.”

Thatching made from reeds was chosen for the exterior of the new building, as a reference to a traditional construction technique in the Vendée region.

“The choice of thatched skin allows a contrast with Durand’s mansion,” architect Hervé Potin told Dezeen. “The building grows organically, embracing the mansion and spreading out to the site without overthrowing the natural order.”

The building is raised off the ground on wooden pillars, reducing its impact on the landscape and allowing space underneath for a shallow pond.

“Making the building rise up the ground allows the biodiversity to stay in place,” said the architect. “The project slowly lifts up to unveil the pond hosting frogs and herons.”

A wooden ramp leads visitors into both the new and old parts of the complex. While the old house accommodates research laboratories and events spaces, the new wing contains permanent and temporary exhibition spaces.

A prefabricated timber frame gives the building its structure and is left exposed inside, including within a triple-height lobby that offers seating areas for visitors.

Photography is by Sergio Grazia.

Here’s a project description from Guinée*Potin Architectes:

Museum & Biodiversity Centre

Main idea of Beautour centre is to glorify the historical Georges Durand’s mansion (a Vendean naturalist, 1886 – 1964) who got important collections. Man of rights, he quickly developed a passion for natural sciences. For 70 years, he collected plants and insects from all over Europe, with the help of his friends and fellow scientists. This is how he has been able to collect nearly 5,000 birds, 150,000 butterflies and insects, and numerous herbariums. Thus almost all 4,500 species of the french flora are hereby represented.

Context

The project aims to develop educational and scientific supports themed on biodiversity, as well as a management strategy and evolution prospectives for the whole area. Beyond the thematic gardens, composting, and using rainwater for watering, that are some obvious actions, the project aims to help new forms of biodiversity to regenerate this site, abandoned for 30 years.

Some plots of land have reached a state of «climax», and the global intervention presents two alternatives : either an integral preservation, either a minimal intervention that could engage a new natural diversification. Some other plots, on the contrary, have been maintained in a state of biological poverty due to frequent mowing and pasture. These ones could use a higher level of interventionism, in order for a new ecosystem to settle on a long term basis.

Biodiversity

The Museum & Biodiversity research centre tries to find a right balance between light actions, preserving the biodiversity already on site, and other stronger actions, creating a positive impact on the biological diversity. Thus the project is neither a theme park, nor an ornamental garden.

This really is a site-specific project, inspired by the local biodiversity, the topography, and the other qualities that are proper to Beautour. The visit itinerary is drawn by this logic, scientific purpose leading the visitor down to the fields and the valley, where the wild nature meets both Beautour historical and newly designed gardens and meadows.

Architectural project

In a very present landscaped green setting, the project takes on a strong identity, re-interpreting a traditional technique in a contemporary and innovative way, by adopting a thatched skin, that entirely covers both walls and roof of the building. The competition renderings display the natural ageing of the material, fading to grey tones and shades changing as the seasons pass by.

As a compact shape would have vied with Mr Durand’s mansion, the building grows organic, embracing the mansion, surrounding it and spreading on the site without overthrowing the natural order. Solid raw chestnut tree trunks also confuse the overall image of the mimetic project. The building, as a branch laying on the ground, is a ‘piece of built landscape’, a ‘new geography’ completing the natural scenography.

Making the building rise up the ground allows the biodiversity to stay in place and minimises the impact of foundation works. The project slowly lifts up to unveil the pond hosting frogs and herons. The technical facilities annex is painted black and houses locker-rooms and a wood-fired boiler. A pedagogical greenhouse stands next to it at the entrance of the site.

Global approach : how to combine bioclimatic design and contextual approach

A bioclimatic approach seems obvious considering the program (environment and biodiversity are the leitmotiv words), and would concentrate on being as compact as possible, in order to prevent thermic loss.

But in the context of Beautour, where the mansion (even in ruins) stands quite impressive from the first visits, it has been chosen not to go in this way and add a second massive building, but instead to design a stretched shape, laying on over 100 meters.

From our point of view, this contextual approach compensates the ideal of the bioclimatic shape, and follows these principles:
– Light impact on the surroundings by using natural thatch and raising the building on stilts, lowering the impact of foundation works
– Solar south façade, generously open on the landscape, and circulations concentrated on the north side
– Maximal in-factory prefabrication phase, allowing a clean construction site and a low environmental disturbance

Structure & materiality

Given the will to protect the existing ground and minimise concrete foundations, the extension is built on a prefabricated timber frame, allowing a control during the fabrication with high precision assembly techniques, and a high internal flexibility in the future. The use of a composite timber-concrete floor compensates for the low inertia of the timber structure. Heath is kept inside in winter, but the thatched roofs and walls (35cm on roofs, 25cm on walls) prevents its penetration in summer.

Concerning the existing mansion, it is rehabilitated in a patrimonial way: restoration of all windows, floors and timber frame, exterior walls are coated with a light grey lime plaster. Inside the mansion, existing floors have been conserved and original cement tiles have been relocated and mixed with contemporary pieces to create an ambiguousness on what is and what has been.

Orientation

On the south façade, the pronounced thatch overhang, in association with the existing deciduous trees hedge, prevent from overheating during summer, and provides a visual comfort all year long. In the restored building, the width of the walls and the insulation panels (90 cm combined) and the position of the windows (aligned with the insulation) create a solar protection from direct sunlight during summer months.

Program: Museum & Biodiversity research centre
Address: Le Bourg-sous-la-Roche, Beautour, La Roche sur Yon
Client: Région des Pays de la Loire
Architect in charge: Agence GUINEE*POTIN Architectes
Design team: Anne-Flore Guinée et Hervé Potin architectes; Solen Nico chef de projet
Landscape design: Guillaume Sevin Paysages
Scenography: BLOCK Architectes
Graphic design: WARMGREY
Museographic content: Stéphanie VINCENT
Engineering: ISATEG (structure / fluides), ITAC (acoustique)
Area: 2057m2
Cost: 5000000€HT

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research centre by Guinée*Potin Architectes appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen archive: we’ve published a few buildings covered in thatch recently, so here’s a roundup of more examples from the Dezeen archives. See all our stories about thatched architecture »

See all our archive stories »

The post Dezeen archive: thatch appeared first on Dezeen.

This glazed town hall in the Netherlands by Dutch architecture studio Inbo has thatched roofing folding over all five of its huge curved profiles (+ slideshow).

Located in Schipluiden, the municipal centre of Midden-Delfland, the town hall comprises a row of five alternating volumes designed by Inbo to match the forms of the surrounding hills.

Inspired by the farmhouses typical in the region, the building has a thatched roof made from metre-long strands of reed. Unlike a traditional thatched roof, which could pose a significant fire hazard, the reeds are wrapped tightly around a system of prefabricated panels.

Above: photograph is by the architects

“In old barns fires would quickly grow because of the air feeding the fire from below,” architect Arnold Homan told Dezeen, “but here there are big prefabricated panels forming the understurcture beneath the reeds. The reeds are stitched over the panelling, no air can reach them.”

Above: photograph is by the architects

The thatching clads all surfaces of the roof that are visible at ground level, while the uppermost sections are covered with a mixture of sedum and photovoltaic solar panels. “It looks like the reed is all over the building from beginning to end, but that’s not actually the case,” explained Homan.

Above: photograph is by the architects

The three largest sections of the building accommodate the municipal offices of the Midden-Delfland Town Hall, while the two smaller blocks are sandwiched between to create an entrance foyer and public hall.

Above: photograph is by the architects

Windows line the north and south facades of each block to bring natural light through every room in the building. More solar panels are mounted around the glazing and double-up as solar shades.

Inbo also designed the interiors of the building, adding paving slabs to the floor of the entrance hall, teardrop-shaped lighting and wooden fittings built from locally sourced timber.

Other projects by Amsterdam studio Inbo include a technology company headquarters designed to look like a meteorite.

See more thatched architecture on Dezeen, including a thatched visitor centre for birdwatchers in Sweden and a thatched bar in Vietnam.

Photography is by Auke van der Weide, apart from where otherwise stated.

Here’s a project description from Inbo:

Town Hall Midden-Delfland
Schipluiden (NL)

The small municipality of Midden-Delfland is a green recreational enclave in the industrialised south wing of the Randstad, Netherlands. This vulnerable setting inspired the architects of Inbo, Arnold Homan and Jeroen Simons, in their design for its new town hall. Inbo designed a characteristic building, using the distinctive polder landscape of Midden-Delfland as a leading theme on multiple scale levels. The town hall presents itself like a visitor centre: an approachable, accessible building that interacts with its surroundings. This sustainable residence of Netherlands first Cittaslow-municipality – with its core values quality of life and slow food – presents itself in an inviting and precious icon.

The town hall has been awarded an A label on energy efficiency and a sustainability score of 235 (Greencalc). This carbon neutral building is literally fed by the landscape. Natural underground wells are utilised for heat and cold storage, regulating the buildings climate. The design choices in the building its shape and materialisation support the high standards for sustainability. The thick thatched roof and triple glazing façades ensure a high level of insulation. Solar cells integrated in the facade generate electricity and serve as sunscreens as well.

Located at the very edge of the village of Schipluiden, Inbo choose to adapt the grammar of the polder landscape in the concept of the town hall. The building consists of five alternating volumes corresponding with the parceling of the polder landscape. Three office volumes enclose the daylight volumes of the entrance hall and the public hall volume. The town hall is covered by a softly folded thatched roof, the distinct eye catcher. This roof is inspired by the typical farmhouses in Midden-Delfland and the differences in height of the polder landscape: it contrasts with the transparent façades.

Above: site plan

The three storey building is set against a characteristic dyke of the river Gaag. The central position of public spaces on first floor level, such as the public hall with vista across the Gaag river, serves the client-management concept. The spatial entrance hall bathes in daylight, bridging the differences in height between polder and river level by two easily accessible entrances. The perfect position for taking wise decisions about the future of Midden-Delfland has been created by positioning the double high council chamber on first level at the far end of the building: its backfolded roofshape frames the view across the adjacent polder landscape.

Above: ground floor plan – click for larger image

The interior reflects the character of Midden-Delfland. The essence of the building is a modest design and use of natural materials. The tiled floor for the public hall refers to the characteristic floors in traditional farmhouses. The carpet pattern throughout the offices resembles an aerial view of a polder landscape. The street pavement on polder level continues into the entrance hall. In the interior elements, such as facades, counters, pantries and the council table, native wood has been applied. A dynamic and open work environment has been created, generating views into public hall and entrance hall, and towards is surroundings: river, village and polder. The town hall is literally connected to the landscape.

Above: first floor plan – click for larger image

With its new town hall, the municipality of Midden-Delfland wants to set a sustainable example for its inhabitants and display its core values nationwide.

Above: second floor plan – click for larger image

Client and occupant: Gemeentehuis Midden-Delfland
Function: town hall with a council chamber, offices (various office concepts), restaurant, public space with counters, police post, fire department post
Specialities: Residence of Netherlands first Cittaslow-municipality
Surface: 5966 m2 (fire department post 700 m2, offices 3876 m2, public functions 1390 m2)

Above: block one section – click for larger image

Design: 2007
Start realisation: May 2011
Completion: September 2012

Above: block two section – click for larger image

Architect: Inbo
Project architect: Arnold Homan en Jeroen Simons
Team members: Ben van der Wal, Arie de Jong, Maarten Hooijmeijer, Erik Berg

Above: block three section – click for larger image

Urban design: DN Urbland te Den Haag (NL)
Interior design: Inbo (NL)
Structural engineering: Bartels, Utrecht (NL)
Installations engineering: Vintis installatietechniek, Zoetermeer (NL)

Above: block four section – click for larger image

Contractor: Bouwonderneming Stout B.V., Hardinxveld-Giessendam (NL)
Building management: Stevens Van Dijck, Zoetermeer (NL)
Others: LBP Utrecht (NL) (akoestiek, bouwfysica, brandveiligheid)

Above: block five section – click for larger image

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by Inbo appeared first on Dezeen.

This thatched visitor centre by architects Wingårdhs sits beside the shallow waters of Sweden’s Lake Tåkern, the annual nesting habitat for over a hundred species of bird (+ slideshow).

Traditional building techniques were employed to cover the walls and roof of the building with golden reeds, which will fade to grey over time to to match the nearby bird-watching tower that Wingårdhs completed in 2009.

The thatched exteriors are typical of the temporary hides constructed by bird-watchers and they provide nesting materials and hiding places for small birds such as pipits and wagtails.

Above: photograph is by Tord-Rickard Söderström

Despite its traditional cladding, the visitor centre has an asymmetric form that folds around an entrance courtyard.

“This is quiet architecture, using traditional local materials to break new ground with crystalline geometry,” explain architects Gert Wingårdh and Jonas Edblad.

Above: photograph is by Tord-Rickard Söderström

Timber lines the walls inside the visitor centre, while a skylight runs along the ridge of the roof, bringing in natural light as well as allowing visitors to look up to the sky.

A series of wooden bridges and boardwalks connects the building with the bird-watching tower and car parking area, making each building accessible to visitors in spite of the bumpy terrain.

Above: photograph is by Tord-Rickard Söderström

Other thatched buildings on Dezeen include a conceptual skyscraper and a domed bar.

Above: photograph is by Tord-Rickard Söderström

Photography is by Åke E:son Lindman, apart from where otherwise stated.

Here’s some more information from Wingårdhs:

All the way out where the forest ends and the reeds begin, a visitor center hovers low on piles set carefully into the water’s edge. The building is clad in thatch, camouflaged like a birdwatcher’s blind, hiding its contents from the natural world that surrounds it.

This is quiet architecture, using traditional local materials to break new ground with its crystalline geometry. Steep roofs transition seamlessly into walls. The steep pitch gives them longevity. The ridge, where a thatched roof is most vulnerable, is transformed into a glazed skylight.

Above: photograph is by Tord-Rickard Söderström

The visitor center is the main feature of a series of measures that celebrate Tåkern’s qualities. The path to the building passes a number of landscape exhibits that reveal, for example, changes in the environment. A short distance away stands a bird-watching tower, designed as a sibling to the visitor station.

Above: site plan – click above for larger image

The whole scheme is interconnected by boardwalks that make the terrain accessible for all. A 140 meter long ramp makes it possible to reach the five meter level by wheels.

Above: site buildings and elevation – click above for larger image

Among the many exhibits is an aquarium that joins the interior of the visitor center with the pond that has been advantageously exposed next to the building. The center has a closed, sheltering form, resulting in minimal energy consumption. A few strategically placed generous openings connect the building with its surroundings.

Above: floor plan – click above for larger image

Location: Lake Tåkern, Sweden
Main building: 680m2

Above: long section – click above for larger image

Address: Glänås, Sweden
Architect: Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB trough Gert Wingårdh, Jonas Edblad. Team: Ingrid Gunnarsson, Aron Davidsson, Jannika Wirstad and Peter Öhman.
Plan: Ödeshög municipality

Above: cross section – click above for larger image

Client: County of Östergötland
Contract form: General contractor

Above: detailed section – click above for larger image

Contractor: Bird watching tower: Håkan Ström AB
Buildings: Skanska Östergötland

Above: south elevation – click above for larger image

Gross area: circa 750 sqm
Year of construction: Bird watching tower: 2008- 2009. Buildings: 2010-2012

Above: north elevation – click above for larger image

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by Wingårdhs appeared first on Dezeen.