COSTEBELLE GYMNASIUM
The Lycée Costebelle gymnasium in Hyères is one of the first wooden buildings with an apparent structure in the Region and is distinguished by the singular elegance of its structure. The pine Laricio (Corsica) is sublimated by the talent of the carpenters who assembled this geometric mesh holding the role of exostructure, curtain wall and sun protection.
Located in the heart of a hilly area, the Costebelle district presents a unique appearance of historical, architectural and landscape collage.
The Costebelle gymnasium, a gold medal for the sustainable building of the Mediterranean (BDM - ENVIROBAT), has a deliberately sober and uncluttered architecture. The project is based on three principles: the sobriety of use, the austerity of technical means and the affirmation of matter.
The project includes a multi-sport hall, a 250-seater grandstand, 6 changing rooms, a meeting room, offices and storerooms for Costebelle high school students and municipal associations. The value of use and the consideration of people and their environment are instinctive principles that guided the project.
The gymnasium is in the form of a compact composition, consisting of a hall in structure and wood facing near which two volumes of raw concrete are inserted: changing rooms and depots.
Among the first timber-framed buildings in the Region, the massive pine frame of the gymnasium renews the usual image of wooden architecture to sublimate the work of carpenters. No cladding or skin added, Larricio Pin (local resource) is left apparent holding the role of exostructure, curtain wall and sun protection.
The geometric net developed from the basic figure of the triangle dynamically plays with the light and allows to open the sports hall on a forest of cork oaks to the south and the Costebelle stadium in the North which offers a wide clearance on the landscape . The immaculate whiteness of the room contrasts with the shady color of the pre-shaded rafters in order to be confused with the trunks of the surrounding trees.
The building is finally equipped with the main sustainable building processes: boiler granulated wood, over-ventilation at night, production of electricity and solar hot water and has been the subject of a Green building with low nuisance (BBC EFFINERGIE label without photovoltaic and BDM level Silver).
The project was the subject of a BDM approach. An environmental logbook was given at each phase to clarify the responses proposed to each label's expectations.
