Laval, France, has a new 24,000-square-foot, three-story office building featuring unique ornate screening systems designed by Périphériques. (Luc Boegly)
Perforated bronze and silver colored aluminum angles were set in contrasting directions to produce what the architects call a “kinetic screen.” (Luc Boegly)
A closer look at the perforated bronze and aluminum (Luc Boegly)
“The perforated metal offers a way to observe the landscape from inside the office and creates a kinetic effect from the outside,” said Emmanuelle Marin, principal at Périphériques. (Luc Boegly)
This solar shading device is attached back to the primary facade slab edge. (Luc Boegly)
An interior view of the bronze and aluminum perforated screens (Luc Boegly)
An interior view of the bronze and aluminum perforated screens (Luc Boegly)
The Hotel d’entreprises by Périphériques (Luc Boegly)
The courtyard is lined with a timber sunscreen composed of four-inch thick horizontal members set at a slight inclination (Luc Boegly)
A continuous pathway frames the building envelope (Luc Boegly)
One of the successes of the project is the softening of the urban environment, achieved by the courtyard massing and wood cladding. (Luc Boegly)
The Hotel d’entreprises by Périphériques (Luc Boegly)
HVAC and plumbing systems are organized along this pathway for efficient, centralized distribution. (Luc Boegly)
The Hotel d’entreprises by Périphériques (Luc Boegly)
Axonometric diagram of the facade systems at Hôtel d’entreprises by Périphériques (Courtesy Périphériques)
The courtyard massing scheme sets up two primary facade responses: an external perforated aluminum screen and an internal, diagonally installed wood screen (Courtesy Périphériques)
Elevation of the Hôtel d’entreprises by Périphériques (Courtesy Périphériques)
Elevation of the Hôtel d’entreprises by Périphériques (Courtesy Périphériques)
Laval, a town in western France town historically known for the manufacturing of fine linens, has received a new 24,000-square-foot, three-story office building featuring unique ornate screening systems. Designed by Paris-based Périphériques on a small parcel of land, the project supports a growing culture of startup companies by bringing together multiple organizations with large shared collective spaces. The relatively straightforward massing of the building comprises a subtly shaped box defined by required setbacks and two subtractive cuts for daylight penetration, punctuated by a central wood-clad courtyard and roof terrace.
Perforated bronze and silver colored aluminum angles were set in contrasting directions to produce what the architects call a “kinetic screen.” (Luc Boegly)
Facade Consultants Egis Bâtiments Centre Ouest (technical engineer)
LocationLaval, France
Date of Completion2017
SystemCorrugated copper screen, metal rainscreen, curtain wall
ProductsPerforated metal corners, mirrored stainless steel siding by ISORE
The courtyard massing scheme sets up two primary facade responses: an external perforated aluminum screen and an internal, diagonally installed wood screen. The architects said the main goal for these two assemblies was to create different atmospheres, a device to mediate the surrounding landscape, and an intimate courtyard patio. “The perforated metal offers a way to observe the landscape from inside the office and creates a kinetic effect from the outside,” said Emmanuelle Marin, principal at Périphériques.
The primary external facades are organized into approximately 18-inch modules defined by vertical floor-to-ceiling bands of glazing interspersed with insulated metal panels. Perforated bronze and silver–colored aluminum angles were set at contrasting angles to produce what the architects call a “kinetic screen.” This solar shading device is attached back to the primary facade slab edge. The spacing and overlap of the two layers of aluminum are responsive to solar orientation and internal program.
A continuous pathway frames the building envelope (Luc Boegly)
The courtyard is lined with a timber sunscreen composed of four-inch thick horizontal members set at a slight inclination set along a 4-foot grid. A continuous pathway framed by the building envelope wraps the courtyard on the inside, and an interior glass wall buffers noise and filters daylight. HVAC and plumbing systems are organized along this pathway for efficient, centralized distribution.
Marin said one of the successes of the project is the softening of the urban environment, achieved by the courtyard massing and wood cladding. “The acoustics within the courtyard patios are very interesting, producing an effect that makes the outdoors feel more like an interior space.”
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