Victor Hugo, multipurpose building to rent, Paris, France, 2022
The client acquired a small mansion in 1870 with the aim of renting it, but first wishes a qualitative and sustainable renovation. The project is based on two guiding principles: – The enhancement of the exceptional morphology of the building, positioned at the corner of three roads, which gives it its spatial and luminous qualities; – The ability to adapt over time to different tenants without requiring heavy work, and therefore to limit waste and preserve the qualities of the building over time. Adaptability is first played on the release of the large structural spans against the main facades, the most generous and bright. They form the free development spaces that will be defined by the future occupants.
The permanent spaces, toilets, and distributions are distributed in the remaining spaces: – the existing staircase, no longer meeting current safety and accessibility standards, gives way to an elevator in the darkest part of the building; – the new staircase naturally takes place along the facade at the heart of the plot. The stairwell is then adorned with glass partitions offering views of the near and more distant environment from the adjoining spaces; – the sanitary facilities, brought up to standard, are moved to the more intimate staircase bay. – in the center of the building, at the articulation of the vertical distributions and the spans left free, the circulations are thought of as meeting spaces, fitted out with coffee, photocopying or other spaces. Service areas, toilets and meeting places are provided at each level, leaving the possibility of renting per level to three separate tenants.
Adaptability is then played on: -regulations. The building meets various regulations to offer a choice of office space or activities open to the public, – technical equipment (concealment of floor ducts equipped with the necessary connectors, additional air treatment connections pending in false ceilings, programmable lighting…) – acoustic devices: insulation between floor joists and false ceilings to create acoustically insulated offices by simply installing partitions. Finally, particular care has been taken with the thermal and acoustic comfort of the building, through interior insulation of all the facades and the replacement of windows.
