Our Paris office recently won with its partner ITAR the "PLD Liberté" competition for a mixed-use development in an exciting location in Paris: Located on the border between the high-rise district of La Défense and the Wilhelminian quarter of Puteaux, 4 new buildings for the client Quartus - between 6 and 18 floors high - are to define the transition.

• At first glance, it is noticeable that a green island is being created here in the harsh Parisian environment, which also overcomes the difference in height between La Défense and Puteaux via an elegant staircase. The urban arrangement of the four buildings with their total GFA of 17,000 m² is very clever: they open up towards the Puteaux quarter and taper towards La Défense. This creates perspective funnels that sharpen the view of the neighborhoods, generate tension and accentuate the special features of the location. At the same time, a convincing urban dynamic is created.

• Our project - called Kintsugi - aims to make Paris La Défense the first post-carbon business district by halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The buildings already validate the 2028 level of RE2020 and can aim for the 2031 level tomorrow.

• The two taller residential buildings consist of a primary concrete structure and prefabricated floors made of a wood-concrete mix. The façades consist of wooden frames filled with insulating material from organic cultivation, while the exterior cladding is made of terracotta bricks. The neutral-use buildings in the middle have a primary timber structure and CLT floors. The use of concrete will be limited to the technical cores and the plinth. The façades are made of wood-concrete with organic insulation, and the exterior cladding is also made of terra tiles.

• This ecological mix of materials offers a broad spectrum for the design of the façades, which, in harmony with the form, offer a high degree of diversity within the overall framework.

More information about the Paris office here.

Credits rendering: Baumschlager Eberle Architekten