Social housing, Quai de Charente | MARGOT-DUCLOT ARCHITECTES ASSOCIES

A building containing 91 subsidized flats and a nursery school for 60 children in the heart of the 19th arrondissement, Paris. The commissioned architects, Margot-Duclot, Architectes Associés, Paris, were looking for a sustainable material with a reflective, mirror effect to add warmth and lend identity to the north-facing façade in surroundings lacking in structure. ALUCOBOND® A2 (non combustible) and ALUCOBOND® PLUS (fire retardant) were selected. The building’s façade along Boulevard MacDonald is narrow, whereas the balconies and loggias on the main façade directly overlook the busy Quai de Charente. The façade can be quickly perceived by the cars speeding past on the boulevard and its design was intended to echo the high-speed traffic on the busy road. This notion led to the idea of “pixelating” the façade by dividing it into small sections of different surfaces. Sunrise Silver Metallic and Desert Gold surfaces create compelling colour brilliance and gleaming light reflections. The “mirror effect” of the third tone, naturAL Reflect, infuses the northern façade in a special light. The movable window shutters are of central importance. They can be individually operated, creating an exciting interplay between open and closed elements, and various reflective or mirror surfaces. ALUCOBOND® tray panels in different tones achieve a perfect, unique overall appearance. It is not only the reflection of light which is responsible for the lively motion on this façade. The window shutters themselves make this diverse façade a mirror image of change and movement, and make a pertinent reference to the speed and flowing transitions characterising the street scene. At the same time, the building’s mirror effect brings the skies a little closer.

Architects: Margot-Duclot Architectes Associés, Paris I France
Construction: Tray panel
Year of Construction: 2013
Product: ALUCOBOND® PLUS naturAL Reflect | ALUCOBOND® A2 spectra colours Desert Gold + metallic colours Sunrise Silver Metallic