Mixed-use building, Nantes
Standing at the foot of Tabarly Bridge, the building can be seen from a distance, marking the edge of the burgeoning Malakoff neighbourhood, the sweeping landscapes of the Loire, and Nantes Island. Its massing and architectural detailing are also designed to work at a human scale, and work well within the surroundings.
Our project is based on overlapping uses by positioning them across the width of the building. This mixed-use approach reflects the dynamism of the 'nouveau Malakoff' surrounding neighbourhood. Slipping between the three sections that make up the development makes it possible to abut the programmes: a volume of housing to the south and two volumes of offices to the north. This decision to overlap the different volumes greatly increases the quality of the future building, in terms both of urbanism and architecture as well as functionality and sustainability. The orientation of the housing units is given priority, with views over the Loire, providing a maximum number of multi-orientated apartments and loggias at the corners.
The regularity of the facades is enlivened by variations in the frame in the form of occasionally alternating single and double grids. The prefabrication of concrete elements highlights the care given to the architecture.