Rising above an exposed concrete plinth storey are solid limestone outer walls, which are not merely self-supporting, but also bear the loads of the exposed laminated cross-boarded floors. With thicknesses of 35 cm in the lower part of the building and 30 cm at the top, the external walls are nevertheless relatively slender. Internally, a lightweight bearing structure of steel columns and beams reduces the loads on the walls and allows flexible layouts. Thermal protection is afforded by moisture-diffusing internal insulation, consisting of hemp concrete. This mixture of hemp stalks, lime and water allows a natural regulation of moisture in the internal spaces. It absorbs vapour and can transform it into thermal energy, while the stone not only forms a barrier to external cold, but also provides good sound insulation. As a result of this simple form of wall construction, it was possible to reduce problems relating to building physics that often arise with a larger number of layers.
The seven floors of the development house a total of 17 dwellings and a ground floor shop. The uppermost two storeys of the main tract, which faces on to the street, are stepped back. The side wing, which is turned to the courtyard, is stepped down floor by floor, thereby ensuring an adequate ingress of sunlight into the individual flats and the courtyard. Despite the tight cost constraints for public housing, the architects skilfully captured the vocabulary and material qualities of the surrounding developments, at the same time lending the new complex a contemporary architectural expression. Outwardly, the facade of the structure profits from the precise use of a few design means. With the change from an exposed concrete plinth zone to the external limestone of the upper floors, with the continuous fine jointing of the solid outer walls and with the three-dimensional design of the window reveals which extend down to the floor, the new housing development pays its respects to the neighbouring buildings and integrates itself into the urban fabric, mediating between an urban district that has evolved on a small-scale basis and the streetscapes of Haussmann.
