Intergenerational residence
The intergenerational residence is located in a nice residential area of social housing, la Cité des Planètes. Built during the late fifties, the district enjoys a large public park, open to the river Marne and accessible to all the inhabitants.
The new building is replacing an old residence for elderly persons and is aimed to host people aged over 60 years old and also a few students.
The shape is smooth, the ground-floor is almost completely transparent and the materials (green patinated copper, concrete and glass) fit perfectly in the natural environment, reflecting it and disappearing at the same time.
In the curved glass curtain wall facade of the ground-floor, the entrance is materialized by a cubic volume panelled with copper. Once inside, the visitor can discover the spatial continuum that links together all the common spaces to the central patio.
The reception area, purposefully cosy, is designed to encourage social interaction both between residents and guests. Considered as the true core of the residence, it is extended by a covered terrace open to the park. The adjacent restaurant is also completely transparent and allows views to the park. The common spaces program is supplemented by a gym, a library, a laundry room and a guest room.
In such a project of intergenerational residence, it is important to stimulate the community spirit and to encourage people to share with each other. Here the keyword is : appropriation. Each floor profits a large common terrace open to the patio and several small common lounges located in the dilated spaces of the glazed corridor, also open to the patio. This spatial organization allows breaking with the anonymity of a standard corridor.
These progressive levels of privacy allow the residents to dwell in the building the way they want, from the intimate spaces on the interior patio to the more collective spaces open to the park and the neighbourhood life.
Along the glazed corridor, each apartment entrance is materialized by a set of wooden manufactured elements including the door, a ring bell, a light and a fixed window. On the inside, thanks to a shelf under the window, the residents can display objects or plants, animating the corridor. This way, the apartments profit a real facade and feel more like home.
All the apartments profit a wide and generous loggia open to the park. To guarantee privacy, these spaces are separated from each other by vertical volumes panelled with copper and dissimulating cellars.
This residence combines the different scales, from urban integration to apartment design, taking into account the various ways of living of the residents. It is the result of the commitment of all the actors to quality, comfort, security and well-being, at each phase of the project.
