"CARDINET CHALABRE"

The Cardinet‑Chalabre ZAC program (French for "Special Planning District") spearheaded by the City of Paris and the Paris Batignolles joint district authority is to consider as an exemplary Eco-Neighborhood. The point here is to meet the Grenelle Environment Forum (French environmental pact) objectives.

This new construction gathers 61 HEQ (High Environmental Quality) residential units, a nursery and shops – the building groups three programs together, then three regulations shall apply.

Work was focused on developing a coherent and generous project, providing quality living spaces for a more healthy and harmonious environment. Every apartment has double exposure – in order to provide a variety of views and better average sunshine period – and meet the standards of the French THPE (“Très Haute Performance Energétique”, or VHEP “Very High Energy Performance”) with a low energy-use objective. This monolith building on the alignment of the Cardinet Street is composed of a base with a winter garden opened to the street, and a body with an overhanging structure offering two distinct facades.

These facades are transparent, allowing the inside succession of components to appear – reinforced concrete wall, joinery, outer insulation, vapour barrier, glazed windows, and a polycarbonate external skin.

The double-height base of the building represents a rare urban generosity example, amongst other recent collective housing buildings. Thanks to the well-glazed facade, shops benefit from an optimized lineal front metre and corner attractive situation.

The nursery volume stands parallel to the Cardinet Street and adopts a sawtooth design so that the garden alternately enters the building. The winter garden serves as a protective sensory, optical and soundproofing filter.