Residential Complex in Bègles
- Julia Liese
“Terres Neuves” is a new urban quarter in Bègles on the site of a demolished 1960s-era residential high-rise development. Bordeaux’s main railway station is less than two kilometres away. The architects designed two building volumes that follow the block border of the polygonal site and feature a width of only 7 metres. The ground level is elevated in order to maintain a distance from the main street bordering the western perimeter. By entering a raised antespace located between the two volumes and by passing two portals, the two interior courtyards can be reached that provide access to the 79 apartments. The concept of the building is based on creating a mix between collective and individual dwelling by infusing multi-storey residential housing with the qualities of a single family home. Generous loggias measuring 20 to 40 square metres in size are the central element of the design. They occupy the entire width of the building and serve as a buffer space between the individual apartments. The also offer exterior spaces oriented towards two sides and serve as an important component of the building’s climate control concept. Full height sliding panels clad in perforated corrugated sheet metal allow opening and closing the loggias, depending on temperature or desired degree of privacy. In summer they support ventilation and cooling of the building. In winter, they enclose the compact volume. The building structure is similar to a storage rack – the apartments seem as if they were inserted between the floor slabs, while the loggias remain empty. The variation between open and closed areas produces a vivid play along the facade. When windows are lit at night, this impression is emphasized further and the cost efficient metal skin with its translucent appearance unfolds its particular flair.
