PYRÉNÉES
The project draws its strength from a careful attention to context and in the ambition of a frugal way of building.
It is a housing building in eastern Paris shaped like an L: one wing is aligned with rue des Pyrénées, adjoining a Haussmannian neighbor, and the other wing sets back, forming a gable on the property line.
The project’s domestic quality comes from the panoramic character of the site. On rue des Pyrénées, to the north, bow-windows extend the living rooms and create open corner views; to the south loggias look out over long views of the city; on the upper floors, a stepped profile creates generous terraces.
These situations define three layers that echo with those of its neighbor: a transparent ground floor with the entrance hall and an activity space, a main layer of apartments with bow-windows projecting over the base, and an attic layer made of successive setbacks.
The architecture is based on a clear measure that matches the width of the living spaces. In plan, this sets the rhythm of the structure with point-bearing columns; on the façade, it shapes the bow-windows, the wide openings of living rooms and bedrooms, the loggias, and the solid pieces of the gable. All Those elements respond to the Haussmannian neighbor: a mineral architecture of light concrete, with vertical and horizontal fluting that echoes and reinterprets the curves of the adjoining building.
The regular drawing of these elements allows the facades to be fully prefabricated, combining precision with economy of material, reducing environmental impact and ensuring quality of assembly. Made in light sandblasted concrete, close in tone to the neighboring building, the panels are either solid or U-shaped pieces around large openings. Each piece integrates water drainage, with gutters and drip edges cast directly into the concrete.
