GENTIL FANTOME | GJL

‘ THIS CASE STUDY WAS A TRUE OCCASION TO QUESTION THE ADAPTABILITY OF AN OUTDATED TYPOLOGY OF DWELLING TO A CONTEMPORARY WAY OF LIVING.’ Being sheltered in apartment buildings belonging to past centuries may sound odd or irrelevant to populations unfamiliar with European standards. Indeed, through the world, not all of the known cultures visualize architecture as perennial. However, facing this set of issues is quite usual, almost compulsory, for young architects established in Paris. Here, the expectations of the users, a nuclear family of 4 members, couldn't match with the original layout of rooms. Consequently, a decision was made to sweep up the existing to the benefit of space efficiency. Except 2 load-bearing walls, with one of them pierced in favor of a better circulation, nothing was preserved. The former apartment, stretched in its length, took advantage of a generous sun exposure, yet required long corridors to serve each room. Owing to a "tabula rasa", and trying to optimize exploitable surfaces, a whole battery of integrated furniture were spread all over the apartment. From a desktop folded in the depth of a door, to drying racks hidden in the false ceiling, or even a storage wall spanning over 12 meters, each room is equipped with specific devices fulfilling specific functions and needs.