Hasta La Ideas

Black-painted timber contrasts with clean white window frames on the walls of this cube-shaped weekend home in Normandy, France, by Paris studio Beckmann-N’Thépé Architectes (+ slideshow).

Located on a quiet countryside plot in Bellavilliers, Beckmann-N’Thépé‘s House in Normandy is surrounded by little but woodland and fields.

The architects designed the house as a “minimalist object”, with a simple geometric shape and only one pronounced opening on each side.

Horizontal timber panels clad each wall and are painted black, giving the facade the appearance of charcoal.

“A line diagram cube with a 50 square-metre base on the ground, [the house’s] black-tinted wooden wall panelling responds to the woodland environment,” said the architects.

Small square windows puncture three elevations, while the fourth has glazed doors that lead out to a small terrace.

There’s also a fifth opening – a front door that is camouflaged within the cladding but revealed by a simple canopy.

A combined living room, dining area and kitchen takes up one half of the ground floor and features a double-height ceiling.

One bedroom is tucked away behind, alongside the bathroom, and a second occupies a mezzanine floor above.

The house was completed in 2009 and functions as the holiday home for a family of four.

Photography is by Stephan Lucas.

Read on for more information from Agence Beckmann-N’Thépé:

House in Normandy
Bellavilliers, France

The house is located in the Normandy Bocage, surrounded by hedgerows and looking out over Bellême Forest. Set on the first third of a plot of land 150 m long, it stands in an isolated residential area in the Perche countryside.

A minimalist object, a line diagram cube with 50 m2 base on the ground, its black tinted wooden wall panelling responds to the woodland environment. With just one opening on each side judiciously oriented and highlighted with white, the front is made up of a wooden frame lined with high performance thermal insulation.

The double height in the living-room, also lit through a large bay window opening onto the south side, tends to expand the space.

The strict comfort needed is provided – a living space comprising a living-room with fireplace, open-plan kitchen, bathroom and cupboard space; and a night-time area with two bedrooms, one treated as a large open loft space, and a bathroom.

A few trees decorate the driveway and create a filter between the house and the lane outside.

The dormant partners’ requirement, the desired originality in the response, and the €120,000 budget together defined this simple volume, combining a good floor surface area to frontage ratio. The qualitative approach to the project in terms of materials and energy performance was the key here.

Program: Secondary residence for 4 people
Architects: Agence Beckmann-N’Thépé (Paris)
Client: Private
Area: 80 m2 net floor area
Cost: EUR 120 000 excl. VAT

Project manager: Nicolas Gaudard
Architect: Laura Giovannetti
Assistant architects: Mathilde Billet, Arthur Billaut, Thimothée Kazmierczak

Masonry, wood structure: GUILLET S.A. Excavation : ZUNINO
Plastery: Nicobat
Electricity: Leon
Plumbing, ventilation: Chardel

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The interior of Dutch fashion house Viktor & Rolf‘s first flagship store in Paris has been covered in grey felt by French studio Architecture & Associés.

Architecture & Associés was asked to create an unobtrusive design for the duo’s recently opened store on Rue Saint-Honoré, close to Paris’ famous shopping square Place Vendôme.

“We said we would like a store that’s invisible or a store that’s hardly there because often we find store designs very intrusive and just too much,” Viktor & Rolf co-founder Viktor Horsting told Dezeen.

Grey was chosen to line the interior as it provided a simple environment to showcase the duo’s products and is also used in the set designs of the brand’s catwalk shows.

“We wanted to create an environment where the clothes would really stand out,” said Horsting. “Grey is a very good colour as a backdrop because it’s very neutral. It’s a total surreal experience because you’re in an environment that’s entirely made out of fabric, but at the same time it’s something architectural. We like that surrealism.”

The store houses men and women’s ready-to-wear clothing, accessories such as bags and shoes, plus the brand’s line of fragrances.

Neoclassical elements such as arched niches along the walls and a colonnade of arches running over the staircase create shadows to break up the monochrome.

Shelves for displaying products sit in the niches, some of which are illuminated with white light from behind similar to the ceiling panels.

The felt also muffles the sounds of browsing shoppers in an attempt to make the large 650-square-metre store feel more intimate.

“We wanted to emphasise the personal experience of shopping,” Horsting said. “I have to say that it was a little bit of a guess. Of course we thought that the felt would change certain acoustics of the space but we couldn’t really imagine it, so when we were there over the weekend we were glad to hear that the effect was as we had hoped.”

“You’re really by yourself even though it’s a big space, and even though the architecture is rigorous and graphic, it’s not imposing or too grand,” he continued. “It’s really an intimate place. It’s quite beautiful.”

The store opened last week to coincide with Viktor & Rolf’s twentieth anniversary, which was also marked by the house’s return to haute couture in July. The designers will show their Spring 2014 collection in January next year.

Read on for more information from the team behind the design:

The store will be on Rue Saint-Honoré, just a stone’s throw from the Place Vendôme.

The miscellanea of the Viktor & Rolf world will all be available at the boutique: men and women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, the iconic “Bombette” line of bags and leather goods, glasses, accessories and of course, the line of fragrances.

Driven by a taste for the paradoxical, the designers desired an eternal environment for their ever-changing collections, in their own words: “a striking world where every and anybody’s desires or fantasies can be borne upon what we do”.

The innovative design, conceived by Pierre Beucler and Jean-Christophe Poggioli of Architecture & Associés, combines the palatial grandeur of Renaissance Italy with the classicism of the French tradition for a startlingly avant-garde universe.

The spirit of unorthodox innovation that has always driven Viktor & Rolf, whose work has often been characterised by its subtle exploration of scale and shadow, inspired the architects towards a spectral architecture crafted entirely of grey felt. This single-material strategy makes for a phantasmagorical space of shifting apparitions where the uniform surface of the walls, floors and furniture, as a kind of all-enveloping interior skin, creates the effect of complete unity.

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Paris studio Marchi Architectes layered up timber slats of different thicknesses and proportions to give an irregular texture to the walls of this sunken house extension in Normandy, France (+ slideshow).

Adélaïde and Nicola Marchi designed the single-storey Black House to accommodate a new open-plan kitchen, dining room and lounge for an existing family house, allowing the owners to reconfigure their current layout.

The structure extends from the rear of the property, but is set at the lowest level of the site so that it is barely noticeable from a road running alongside.

Black-stained timber cladding covers the walls and roof of the extension, allowing it to look like the shadow of the main house, while the textured surface was designed to help it blend in with the surrounding woodland.

“The dark timber cladding plays with light and shadows so that the extension disappears in the shade of the forest around,” said the architects.

Shutters are clad with the same material and can be slid across the windows to screen the interior.

Inside, a two-stage staircase folds around one corner to create routes into the extension from different storeys of the house. There’s also an extra door leading straight out to the garden.

The kitchen is tucked into the corner beneath the staircase, while the dining table sits in the middle of the space and the living area is positioned at the far end.

A pair of skylights help to distribute natural light through the room and heating is provided by a wood-burning stove.

Photography is by Fernando Guerra.

Read on for a short project description from Adélaïde and Nicola Marchi:

Black House

The client wanted to move the living spaces to a more open and transparent space, in order to free some spaces in the old house. A unique volume is set up, arranging kitchen, living and dining room. From the interior, wide views are offered to the garden and landscape.

The extension is connected to the existing house as a structurally light volume, as not to overload the foundations. The project is minimal: the volume is integrated in the surrounding, partially recessed in the topography of the ground to stand lower than the street level.

The dark timber cladding plays with light and shadows so that the extension disappears in the shade of the forest around.

Program: Housing
Size: 80 m2
Date of design: 2010-2013
Date of completion: 2013

Project team: Olivia Massimi, Marcello Orlandini
Client: Private
Consultants: Baldeschi, SBH, Valentin, Vauchel-Louvel

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in the forest by Marchi Architectes appeared first on Dezeen.

Curving iridescent structures resembling the scaled bodies of a pair of dragons slump over the top of this new wing created by French studio Agence Jouin Manku at an office campus outside Paris (+ slideshow).

Agence Jouin Manku was asked to design a new amenities wing for the headquarters of Société Foncière Lyonnaise, France’s oldest property company, which is housed within a converted 1920s factory building on the banks of the Seine in Boulogne-Billancourt.

Entitled In/Out, the new wing comprises a curving three-storey building that revolves around a tube-shaped concrete tower. Blocks extend out from both sides of the tower and are both topped with curving structures clad with shimmering stainless-steel shingles.

“The roof is designed like a shell made of scales,” Aude Planterose of Agence Jouin Manku told Dezeen. “We can’t ignore the reference to an animal; it could be a beetle or a dragon.”

The iridescent tiles appear green when viewed straight on, but change colour from blue to purple when viewed at an angle.

“The building changes each time that you look at it,” said Planterose. “These tiles are perfect for facade or roof, and it is actually the same technique used for the slate tiles you find on all Parisian rooftops.”

Below the tiles, the glazed exterior walls are screened with vertical timber slats that vary in density depending of the lighting requirements of the rooms behind, which include cafe and restaurant facilities for the offices, as well as new boardrooms and a 200-seat auditorium.

A staircase connecting the floors of both blocks is contained within the central concrete tower, while a footbridge creates a link between the new and old buildings at first-floor level.

Agence Jouin Manku also renovated the lobby of the original building, adding new seating areas and a large oval reception deck.

This space leads through to a courtyard, where the architects have constructed a glazed pavilion supported by a lattice of branch-like wooden beams that meets the ground at only one point.

Photography is by Thierry Lewenberg-Sturm.

Here’s a project description from Jouin Manku:

IN/OUT by Agence Jouin Manku

An office “campus”, for Société Foncière Lyonnaise, an ambitious architectural project including the transformation of the lobby with the construction of a glass microarchitecture as well as the creation of a new wing.

80 years of history

Built in 1927 by the architect Adolphe Bocage, this building, a landmark of the golden age of industry, had long been used to produce telephone control units. Located on the banks of the Seine, the site, with nearly 7 acres and a 6-storey building, used to hold the lMT society (le Matériel Téléphonique). The building soon became a symbol of industrial innovation.

The site had been designed in keeping with the great principles of the Modern Movement in architecture using simple geometrical shapes, and reinforced concrete. In 1976, Thomson-CsF took control over lMT, who, at the time, employed 10 000 people.

In 1988, seventy years after its construction, Thomson Multimedia transformed the factory into offices and set up its headquarters in the building, until 2009. SFL then decided to restructure the building, aiming for it to become a benchmark in the tertiary sector, focusing on innovation as well as on wellbeing at work. It is this ambitious decision that gave birth to the major IN/OUT project.

The site’s new organisation

After our first commission to design a series of spaces for the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Paris, Société Foncière Lyonnaise (SFL), has asked us once again to embark on another adventure. This time, they have commissioned us to design a new amenities wing of their ambitious In/Out office campus, a landmark office project that is re-defining work spaces in France which houses a cafe, restaurant, board rooms, an auditorium as well as various technical spaces and the lobby, with his pavilion, of the historical building.

The IN/OUT project involves an office campus of more than 387 500 square feet. It is located on a former industrial site in Boulogne, at the West of Paris, on the right bank of the Seine River. This factory, which used to manufacture telephone tools in the 1930s, underwent a complete rehabilitation done by DTACC Architecture, such as many industrial sites in Boulogne.

Visitors enter the historical building and are welcomed into a large vast space similar to a hotel lobby. At the entrance lies a large oval desk that leads visitors to what used to be an exterior courtyard. In the courtyard one discovers a surprising micro-architecture: a glass pavilion that is held up by a series of intertwined and woven wood beams. An ethereal floating lattice which at one point swoops down and gently balances on the floor below on just one point. This new glass canopy in the central courtyard, creates a natural transition between the lobby of the historical building and the amenities wing.

This new amenities wing is nearly 40 000 sq ft.including the interiors. This building was further developed in collaboration with the engineering office TESS for the structural elements and the skin of the building and with architectural agency DTACC for the technical development and architectural execution.

The amenities wing

Agence Jouin Manku has conceived the new amenities wing (nearly 40 000 sq ft.), as well as the interior design of the wing. The building has been further developed in collaboration with the engineering office TESS and DTACC. The new wing also holds a series of services and amenities, alongside the workspaces within the ‘Bocage’ building (thus completing the IN/OUT campus). The wing holds: a 103 seats cafe, a 462 seats restaurant, a 200 seats auditorium, as well as corporate board rooms, lounges, 2 large terraces and a fitness centre.

A dynamic shape, symbol of an avant-garde building

How can workspaces in big companies be improved? What is missing? This interrogation has guided the design of the amenities wing. Agence Jouin Manku decided to create a very different atmosphere to complement the ‘Bocage’ building. This gives employees a healthy balance between formal and informal, as well as between work and play, an idea at the heart of the In/Out Campus.

The structure of the ‘Bocage’ building evokes nostalgia, professionalism and rigour. In contrast, the new wing has been conceived as a building of contemporary architecture, designed around the idea of movement and flow. Its shape has been made to create a series of intertwined spaces. The building is organised around the idea of passage: passing of people, light and air. It is also a place which evokes movement, production, action and dynamism.

The concrete heart: the centre of the building

The building is organised around a central tower, made of bush hammered concrete, which holds all vertical circulation. The choice to use concrete for the centre of the building was to create a coherence and dialogue with the neighbouring ‘Bocage’ building, which is made of the same material and clearly shows its original industrial character. Two wings revolve and wrap around the central tower, but they never meet. Their architectural lines are softer and each wing is a curved form, made of curved glass and vertical wood cladding. The spaces between the concrete centre and the wood wings are filled with glass, which allows light to penetrate almost everywhere in the building, vertically or horizontally.

On the outside, the density of the vertical wood cladding increases and decreases, depending on its position, and which indoor space it corresponds to. The pattern starts out smoothly, then its texture, created by adding chamfers, changes. These edges catch light differently and create a sense of depth on the facade. Inside, the main materials are wood, bush hammered concrete, plaster and curved glass. The curved wood that wraps a large part of the interior adds to the sense of warmth, while the simple use of glass and concrete add a crisp modernity to the project. A footbridge connects the two buildings. This bridge, made of white painted steel and wood, makes access easy between the two buildings, and acts as a symbolic link betweenthe two architectural signatures, and the birth of a common project.

An architecture inspired By nature: an inside out and outside in design

Inspired by the Saint-Cloud park, the Seine river and the lush nature just close to the site, the amenities pavilion has been designed to allow these elements to penetrate the building, as well as to create spaces that would allow one to enjoy the gardens and terraces, created as an extension of the building. The flowing shapes of the project recall the movements of nature. To underline this idea, the roof of the wing has been designed as a coloured envelope wrapping the building. The coloured stainless steel tiles were chosen for their particular iridescent character. In front view, the tiles are green, but their colour changes as the angle and light move. This gives the building a dynamic and always changing character, echoing the variations in the sky and sunlight.

The insides

The interior design and furniture have been thought out as a continuation of the outside lines of the building. While the central concrete core holds the curved staircase that links the various levels of the building, each level opens out on spaces filled with light: simple yet warm spaces, spaces that open out on terraces and gardens, as well as spaces that invite one to discover the next room. The circulation is therefore fluid, and the connection between each space is harmonious. Employees can thus enjoy each space, and will always be invited to discover the next one.

The transformation of the lobby: a micro architecture at the heart of the ‘Bocage’ building

On the outside, the ‘Bocage’ building still looks like an industrial fortress from the 1930s. Yet inside, gently perched in the space of the old atrium, Agence Jouin Manku has designed a ‘soft’ space, filled with light, which is one of their trademarks.

Visitors enter the building and are welcomed into a vast space, similar to a hotel lobby. at the entrance lies a large oval desk, which leads visitors to what used to be an indoor atrium. In the newly created courtyard, one discovers a surprising micro-architecture: a glass canopy, held up by a series of intertwined wood beams, an ethereal floating lattice, which at one point swoops down and gently balances above the floor.

This structural frame was a complex element that required the expertise of TESS, an engineering firm with whom Agence Jouin Manku regularly works.

This lobby is the new heart of the ‘Bocage’ building. It is a central meeting point between different spaces. It also invites visitors or employees to have a break. Both simple in its design and complex in its realisation, the glass pavilion foretells the bold amenities wing designed by the agence Jouin Manku.

The vertical circulation spaces

The other major architectural work is the transformation of the office spaces, especially through the vertical circulation spaces and service points, which now stand on the inside corners of the courtyard.

This has created new circulation spaces around the lobby. In the upper floors, natural light now floods largely into the workspaces. Corridors and stairs are highlighted by a strong yellow colour. This creates a contrast with the rest of the building and encourages one to use the stairs as well as the elevators.

Conclusion

IN/OUT is an ambitious architectural project by DTaCC architecture and agence Jouin Manku; together, they created two unique buildings for SFL. The campus offers a new approach to workspace based on the ideas of sharing, wellbeing and collective activities. The renovation and construction have greatly improved the campus’ amenities, for the benefit of the future users. This project also transforms a typical scenery of the Seine river.

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French office Topos Architecture used timber cladding and a pitched roof to give this kindergarten in Mayenne, France, a domestic appearance that the architects thought would be more welcoming to children (+ slideshow).

Named Maison de la Petite Enfance, which translates as House of the Early Childhood, the single-storey complex provides preschool education facilities for 100 children up to the age of five.

Topos Architecture, whose previous projects include a larch-clad nursery in Nantes, planned the building as three zones. Classrooms and activity spaces are positioned at the rear, while staff rooms and storage facilities run along the front, and a sequence of patios and gardens are sandwiched in between.

Narrow strips of Douglas fir provide a uniform cladding across the outer walls and roof of the structure, and were also used for the perimeter fences. “The use of a wood facade gives a unity and a natural tone to the whole building,” said the architects.

Windows face inward towards the patios and gardens, while the sloping roof is topped with a chimney-like structure that houses an attic filled with ventilation equipment.

“Overlooking the entrance of the building, the roof has a double slope that gives it the silhouette of a house – an architectural line that is also included in the typology of the surrounding urban fabric,” said the architects.

Four large multi-purpose rooms are contained within the building and can be subdivided to accommodate different activities.

Other spaces include a dressing room where children can put on and take off their coats, a sheltered entrance where parents are encouraged to interact and a network of corridors that help to prevent children bringing dirt inside.

Photography is by Jérôme Blin of Collectif Bellavieza.

Here’s a short project description from Topos Architecture:

Conception and construction of the House of the Early Childhood

The House of the Early Childhood, located in Mayenne, between the city Centre and the new railway station district, is an urban building of a single level.

The architects have imagined a soft and welcoming architecture for children, for parents, but also for nursery nurses.

In this way, the building is based on a domestic and hospitable universe: presence of wood outside but also inside, reception and common spaces user-friendly, roof partially built in double slope, omnipresent natural light, generous vegetation.

The garden (800 m2) is an outside room really private and there are four patios that give rhythm to the common spaces.

This centre welcomes from now on 90 children in 1300 m2.

This building is emblematic on environmental plan. It has received from Certivéa, the certificate of conformity to the label for High Energy Performance. Certivéa certifies that it’s in accordance with the BBC level and with the requirements of the Effinergie brand.

Location: Mayenne (53) – France
Surface: 1 300 m2
Architects: Topos Architecture
Children in the House: 90
Project owner: Ville de Mayenne (City of Mayenne)

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of a house” by Topos Architecture appeared first on Dezeen.