With an enclosed diamond-shaped garden at its heart, the building creates an oasis of calm. Birds sing in the mature trees preserved during the construction of the building, and the children enjoy a genuine experience of nature amid the hubbub of the big city.
Designed around an atrium enclosing this vegetation, the building itself contains two activities that reflect one another: a daycare centre and a maternal and child health centre. Between the two facilities, light open-plan entrances invite visitors to walk straight through the building to the enclosed garden.
The daycare centre is built on two floors, with the very youngest children having their own sheltered gardens at ground level, while older children can play on the suspended roof garden – a leafy, elevated playground among the clouds.
Wood to create a warm and natural feeling
The chosen materials are white brickwork at the base with wood above, creating a warm, natural feeling. The angled zinc roof collects rainwater and helps ventilate the building. Large windows and meticulous planning erase the boundaries between indoors and out, and between people and nature.
Architect Guillaume Ramillien usually begins his process by sketching his vision with a simple pen.
“This drawing is important because it makes it possible to take into account the building material, the landscape and future users of the building in a single stroke. It’s also a good way to approach the question of materials and building systems.”
The favorite material is wood
Wood is his favourite material as it has both expressive and aesthetic properties. Wood is also easy to disassemble and reuse.
Advocating timber architecture also benefits sustainability and local forestry – in this case, mainly French spruce and oak are used – and it was therefore Ramillien’s first choice when drawing his proposal.
“Building in timber was our choice, partly for environmental reasons but also because a lightweight structure was the only way to place the building on top of the existing parking garage while also preserving the trees and garden.”
Text: Jan Hallman Photo: Pascal Amoyel, Salem Mostefaoui, Severin Malaud