mobile architectural office unites parisian urban archetypes
At the intersection of three Parisian urban situations in the heart of the French capital sits Mobile Architectural Office’s multifaceted new residential complex. Comprising six housing units and a commercial space, the project is concealed behind a white ribbed metal skin that unites the characteristic qualities of the city’s neighboring faubourien architecture with discreet modenature, the cohesive neatness of the brick facades, and the classical architectural language reinterpreted by postmodern structures from the 1980s.
Across its five stories, the program configures six dwelling units, including two triplexes on the ground floor, above a commercial space. Each unit is arranged around a central courtyard, its inner facade clad in natural wood, and is served by a communal staircase and exterior landings for shared uses between neighbors.
all images © Cyrille Lallement
6 housing units concealed behind a ribbed metal skin
The site is located at the corner of rue Robert Blache and rue du Terrage. To echo its suburban fabric, the project reinterprets the fusion of faubourienne architecture, compact volumetry, facades ordered by regular vertical openings, discreet modenature, and simple expressions of construction.
On the ground floor on rue Robert Blache, the team at Mobile Architectural Office has injected a strong sense of animation along the streetfront by integrating several retail spaces. Access to the residential flats is created via a bright walk-through hall overlooking the adjacent Rue du Terrage. On the upper floors, all dwellings are double or triple oriented and punctuated with uniform windows offering optimal natural light to inhabitants. Inside, some structural elements of the wooden joinery have been revealed in discreet, natural expressions.
Mobile Architectural Office has developed a structural principle based on both vertical and horizontal prefabricated wood, with solid facades and floors from the Basque Country. This enables low carbon development and efficient construction, allowing the structure to be assembled within ten days. Further, in order to facilitate the large spans in the commercial premise and the relationship with the ground, the structure of the ground floor is made of concrete.
On the roof, a rainwater collection system captures precipitation and feeds the planter above the bicycle room and the green space on the ground floor. A recovery system in the tank supplies the taps in the common areas and all the sanitary facilities.
