we are not from kalamazoo

VIENNESE CURLS

2012-01-24T22:47:00.002+01:00

Billy Guidoni and Delphine Borg
COMPETITION EUROPAN 11, WIEN, AUSTRIA

FINALIST PROJECT !!

COMING SOON

or
click HERE to see our project

on the official website - Europan 11 Austria

DE WATERLIJN

2012-01-24T17:52:00.000+01:00

Billy Guidoni and Delphine Borg
COMPETITION EUROPAN 11, LEEUWARDEN ,THE NETHERLANDS

De Waterlijn is a linear urban plan for 450 residential units, with water running along both sides as an integrated component of the public space on the waterfront, in the tradition of waterside housing in Leeuwarden, Friesland.

By concentrating the density on a thin, 14m-wide line as close as possible to the Harinxmakanaal on the north of the study site, the urban project only occupies 5% of the available land south of the canal, liberating even more space for water and nature, while maintaining a 1220m continuous relationship with the city to the north.

Its built presence marks the entrance of Leeuwarden from main road Overijsselselaan (N31) from the south.

The project draws the line of a clear limit between the city and nature.

With the addition of a second canal to the south, symmetrical and identical in width to the Harinxmakanaal, the urban project stands among water, facing the city to the north and the infinite landscape to the south. It stands out as a continuous line on water, which gives it its name : de Waterlijn.

Water in various forms : starting as a double-canal to live on, surrounding de Waterlijn, the water turns into open waterways to look at and walk along towards the south. Those smaller waterways are the continuity and link to the existing fields.

With the canals running at its feet, the view and relationship towards the project are constantly evolving. The Lijnkanaal also serves as a leisure marina to admire and cruise on a private boat, with piers to moor the boat in front of one’s house.

Multiple connections : by locating the new residential area adjacent to the existing town no car is needed to reach the town centre. Cycling is encouraged by two “fast cycle routes“ to the town centre passing right through de Waterlijn. Travelling by public transport becomes attractive thanks to the construction of a suburb train station south of the Kanaalzone area and a good network of buses. Car access is facilitated by a dedicated road servicing the whole residential area on the north side, with 1.6 parking place per housing unit plus public parking places for facilities.

Nature all around : set to the north against the Harinxmakanaal, de Waterlijn leaves space for nature to the south, with an optimal sun exposure. Sport fields are bordered by natural promenades, woods, fields, playgrounds, sport fields and gardens for everyone to enjoy.

An urban promenade also goes along the Harinxmakanaal, north and south, acting as a visual link between both banks.

Optimal phasing : phase 1 of de Waterlijn starts on the east, with an easy connection to the city and the outside via the existing network of highway, roads and cycle lanes. While the linear shape of the project gives it a strong urban character, each phase / sub part of the project gets its own architecture and materiality, with the single constraint of maintaining a bright, clean and simple overall coherence, to avoid patchwork appearance.

Associative and proximity programs : de Waterlijn hosts a marina club and bar/restaurant, a kindergarten, a supermarket, an associative library, a common room to host community events, sport courts, and dedicated BBQ zones on the roof, for neighbour gathering parties when the weather allows.

Multiple levels of gardens : to each his own. For the inhabitants of de Waterlijn to feel a bond with the openness, open spaces are offered throughout the project, starting with the balconies, available to each dwellings. Patios allow for a private piece of sky over an exterior courtyard. The atriums are like an great window to the outside. The roof terraces offer the best view towards the city and the fields. The raised gardens overlook the canals, while the ground gardens are a continuity of nature into the one’s house. The allotments are offered to each family in de Waterlijn, to contemplate, appreciate, educate and live with nature. The playgrounds and fields are the widest open gardens, and encourage a close-to-nature lifestyle for all.

Generous dwellings : all dwellings are through and take the whole width of the project – therefore, every inhabitant of de Waterlijn gets the same sun exposure, as well as an evolving view to the city to the north and the openness to the south.

There are three sorts of houses, with direct access from the ground : the dyke houses, which seem to be emerging from the ground, forming a dyke, the tree houses, which fit on top of the dyke houses and have terrace gardens and vertical accesses, and the garden house, which form the plinths of the apartment blocks.

The apartments are stacked on top of the houses, and accessible via northern gangways. Most apartments have a patio and a private access to the roof.

The spacial volume of the houses and apartments are very generous, including many double-height and large loggias to create an inside landscape and offer the largest view towards the outer territory.

As a result of linear urbanism, the relationship to the surrounding is always different but always of equivalent quality, and one can choose his house according to his needs but also to its position in de Waterlijn.

Sustainability : to live amongst two canals and facing natural landscape offers a perpetual evocation of nature. The easy bike accesses it offers encourage its users to less use their car – and the individual allotments mean that everyone gets the opportunity to grow their own vegetables.
All dwellings get cross-ventilated, which allows for optimal cooling. Additionally, all dwellings are also equipped with a winter garden towards the south, which serves as a climate buffer – open in the warm times, with actual glass protected by its setback, it helps with maintaining a cool temperature. Closed in the colder times, it warms up and preserves a comfortable temperature in the houses.
The full-height openings and occasional patio spaces guarantees optimal lightning all year long, while high mass concrete walls and slabs make excellent thermal inertia.
Additionally, the relatively large roof area allows for an optimal amount of solar panels, used for water-heating. De Waterlijn also connects with existing water and sewer system, which originally run along its actual position, minimizing the need for heavier infrastructures.

PALM SPINE

2012-01-24T15:36:00.000+01:00

Billy Guidoni and Delphine Borg
COMPETITION EUROPAN 11, SAN BARTOLOME, LANZAROTE

PalmSpine is a unique mixed-use district nested in the city of SanBartolomé in the continuity of the local urbanity, which offers avariety of programs along a public avenue of palm trees and water.

Urbancontinuity

PalmSpine aims to integrate itself at best in the existing site andurbanity of San Bartolomé, which means both integrating and makingthe best use of the topography, and offering a discreet continuitywith the built tissues of the city.

Theurban project blends in the urban structure by incorporating localfeatures, while offering a quality contemporary lifestyle and sparinglocal resources. Here is how :

Avenueof Palm trees and water line “the spine”

Theavenue of palm trees and water is the spine of the project : itfeatures two major elements of the city – the typical palm treesand the water, which are both a sign of the topography and a preciousresource. The public space, destined for pedestrians and bicycles,spreads and narrows as it fits into the existing and new amenities,offering ever-evolving perspectives along the way.

Theorganization of the palm trees gives an identity and an orientationto the various public spaces of the area, while the water stream is alink between the whole spine, underlining the converging of water andpublic route towards the maintained water tank in the cultural plazaat the centre of the master plan.

Stairs

To best fit San Bartolomé's strong site declivity, which is characteristic of the region, and to further characterize and give an orientation to each part of the master plan, stairs are used throughout the area, changing directions and spreading with the topography in an unrepeated gesture. Ramps border the steps to allow for bicycle and disabled accessibility.

Publicplazas with programs

Theamenities and the additional public spaces of the area are locatedalong the palm spine, in a progressive sequence of programs thatgives its character to each part of the master plan.

Allprograms are meant to activate the area, with important additions tothe city's amenities - programs of culture, with a additional medialibrary, exhibition centre, open-air theatre, but also programs ofleisure, with sports facilities and outdoor games, commercialprograms with a shopping cluster, programs of social health, andeducation programs - all set up along the main public avenue.

Theprograms fit in the city by creating an architectural continuity withthe city of San Bartolomé : the buildings are white parallelepipedshapes, of mineral materiality, little open to the outside, butincorporating patios for natural shading and ventilation.

Thepublic spaces among the palm spine are important elements of themasterplan, and make the urban quality, creating sights, shadows,open and closed spaces, places to meet, places to play and places torelax.

Fractal Housing

The collective housing project, located to the east of plaza Malvasia, is organized according to the same principles that form the city of San Bartolomé : a split of volumes, chaotic at first sight, but which create a rich inner organization.

San Bartolomé being made up of mostly single-family houses of relative low heights, the form of individual housing is preserved in the project ; however, the meaning of collective housing is to incorporate a sense of living together, sharing a common neighbourhood, common facilities.

The idea of the housing scheme is to fractionate the elements that make up a full house into single entities, therefore finding a domestic human scale, and to assemble them in a metaphor of the city in this smaller scale.

The re-use of the sub-units of the house, which are re-assembled to create a village-like density, with streets and plazas, behaves much like a maze in its own way, where each house and each street has its own properties ad never leads to the same perspective or configuration.

The difference in heights, of each sub-part of the house, starting from the living room to the dining room to the bedrooms to the bathroom, added with the various levels created by the system of steps further adds individuality to each part of the fractal housing scheme.

Therefore, the mini-village constantly evolves in plan and in section.

The composition of the scheme allows for five levels of privacy : from fully public outside the housing scheme to public in the streets and courtyards to semi-private in the dead-ends and alleys to private in the inner courtyards to fully private in one's house.

The public space in the middle of the area carries further the scheme of the maze, offering a continuity with the fractal housing, but with smaller walls and nature that define small scale spaces and outside furnitures with a multitude of benches and trees to gather, socialize, relax and enjoy the outside under a tree. It also includes kids games with mini-volcanoes, small water pools and sand pits for the whole family to enjoy the common public space.

INDOOR STORM CIRCUS

2011-05-24T13:57:00.004+02:00

Billy Guidoni and Delphine Borg
8th OISTAT THEATRE ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION 2011

Honorary mention

St Anna’s church is part of the urban heritage of Prague. It needs to continue to represent its history, while serving a positive, modern function in today’s context of urban sprawling.

As spectators have many entertainment options to choose from, real-life shows of the new generation have to stimulate all senses to be attractive – with sound, light, touch and space ; and the whole audience has to become actor of the experience.

Indoor Storm Circus uses St Anna’s generous space to allow for aerial spectacles, such as variations of trapeze, rope, equilibrists, or tightrope walkers : constant motion and random animation are happening simultaneously, generated by the performance as well as the audience moving three-dimensionally around it.

Indoor Storm Circus lets the audience interact with the show, as its members become actors of the performance and get to chose their own optimal position individually, from lying on pillows on the slopping ground below the performers, to flying and feeling the dizziness above the show, comfortable in the suspended pillows – and anything in between! The pillows also serve as baffles to balance the very high reflection of sound in St Anna.

The whole performance appears like snowflakes moved by the wind - like an indoor storm.

In relation to the show of trapeze, which is always evolving three-dimensionally, the audience should also be able to move in the air along with the show, and get a chance to feel what the artists feel, while adjusting their viewing angle in real-time.

Indoor Storm Circus proposes to take its source from a classic centred audience layout, but offer multiple spatial layout possibilities, with a rather light installation that doesn’t alter the church’s architecture, but rather uses a minimum of infrastructures and can be removed if needed.

Members of the audience get to chose their own optimal position individually, from way down under the performers, lying on cushions on the ground, to over the show, comfortable in the flying cushions - or anything in between – but always in motion.

The audience’s view is therefore always changing, but can also be arranged in any theatre layout for special shows.

L'ALTERNATIVE

2010-05-27T21:43:00.012+02:00

Billy Guidoni

Delphine Borg

L'ALTERNATIVE

The City of Marseille, second biggest in France, is one of the 30 most important cities in Europe by size and by number of inhabitants.

By becoming European Capital Of Culture in 2013, Marseille will be the 29^th European city to benefit from this distinction.

The city is part of the second phase of the institution, following the one of the capitals: it is the time of alternative cities, less well known but that have many unexpected qualities to offer.

It is obvious that Marseille isn't part of first-class cultural cities, the Paris, London, Rome, that are visited in priority and whose cultural impact is not to be proven; therefore the city has to come up with some alternative solutions to bring its assets forward.

To deal with the lack and bad geographical distribution of cultural events and amenities, Marseille has to create places of small and medium size, multipurpose and fun, permanent or temporary, located at strategic spots of the city. These amenities will serve the purpose of reinforcing these spots' identity and will eventually form a continuous cultural network through the whole city.

Among those spots : the city beaches.

Marseille possesses numerous beaches that are not integrated to the city, but which are one of its hidden assets. The beaches are however connected thanks to the great Avenue of the Prado and the famous Corniche, both major axis which meet where the statue of the David is located. This statue, a copy of Michelangelo's famous masterpiece stands as a symbol of the city beaches, as well as of the city's rebellious identity.

We Are Not From Kalamazoo proposes to set up at that spot a fun and cultural pavilion that will enhance the beaches while benefiting from their level of attendance, to turn the beaches of Marseille into a place vibrant with culture in 2013.

The project is the result of the combination of beach vibe and typically local Marseillaise culture features, creating a popular gateway for culture and cultural events, open to all and with a strong iconic value.

Framing the David, at the end of the Prado, l'Alternative speaks clearly about the Marseillaise ambitions.

A flexible exhibition space of about 400 square meters, floating behind the David and open towards the horizon, will host inside cultural events.

Raised in the air, the volume cast shadows on a covered plaza that can become a pétanque court, a big size concert stage or a chill-out space. Its terrace roof hosts a typically local pizza truck, as well as an observation tower allowing to admire the Frioul islands panorama.

South, a ramp is the main access to the main exhibition space and hosts in its curls, which are a reminder of local roads, spaces accessible to the public in direct link with the beach activities : a churros booth, a trampoline, a beach bar, but also an open air theater with a small pine forest as stage background.

North, a main pillar made out of the local stone becomes a climbing wall, a clear reference to the geological heritage of Marseille : the Calanques. Toboggans allow a fun exit of the exhibition space... to start all over again!

The project of the Alternative has been presented to the city of Marseille, which might offer some land to build the project. We Are Not From Kalamazoo is now looking for some partners to work on a financial proposal allowing for the project to actually get build.

SUPERLOCAL - ALES E10

2010-02-13T14:19:00.069+01:00

SUPERLOCAL - ALES EUROPAN 10

2009

Richard Prest, Delphine Borg, Billy Guidoni architects

A Superlocal approach has been used to revitalize a site currently devoid of any urban program. With the dense inner city to the South and urban sprawl of detached houses to the North Superlocal acknowledges the character of both whilst fore filling its duty to create a dense and sustainable district.

Superlocal achieves a dense and sustainable district by exploiting the physical conditions of the site, urban characteristics of the surrounding city, local materials, local construction techniques and local knowledge whilst benefitting from global perspective on ideas and precedents.

Close observation of the topology of the site shows that the railway line follows a contour with inclines both up and down from this datum level. A series of housing typologies has been developed to address these level changes whilst maximizing the passive climatic performance of each house. Hence the gesture which holds all the buildings together is also primarily responsible for their formal diversity resulting in a coherence throughout the site.

Rigourous analysis of the density and identity of the surrounding city led to the classification of six types of urban condition. These are the Ville Dense, Village, Ville Eparse, Industriel, Pavillionaire and Programme Special. With this understanding it was possible to create our own urban types which continue the dialogue with the urban conditions surrounding the site. We have proposed three variants of the masterplan showing how flexible this system is and that it can react depending on what one wants to say. In this way the conditions of specific locations within the site can be addressed making it easy to change or reinforce use, and adjust public and private dynamics depending on need.

In addition to acknowledging the physical characteristics of the city, Superlocal makes the most of local materials (Limestone and timbers) and construction techniques. At the architectural scale this produces housing units which follow similar module sizes to those of the surrounding city. As a result familiar rhythms are established in the proposed buildings hence creating a continuity with the existing city. Further to formal similarities, the color pallet and material texture are sensitive to the region.

The Superlocal approach combines local and global ideas which make it possible to foster a new culture of an attractive and sustainable lifestyle which appeals to the elderly, families and young people.

DESIGN FOR THE CHILDREN

2009-03-14T23:20:00.035+01:00

DESIGN FOR THE CHILDREN

january 2009

Delphine Borg and Billy Guidoni architects, with Richard Prest on texts

The intention behind our proposal is simply to provide a comfortable, sustainable and easily buildable environment in which to effectively treat the people and children in need in East Africa.

Through careful consideration of requirements for such a program, and the analysis of existing East African building types, we have developed a design which aims at being down to earth while bringing architectural quality by simple means – a design that could be built easily and duplicated if needed.

Our approach is as follows:

1-Effective and Social

Taking in consideration the practical demands of the program, which comprised diverse rooms of various constraints and demands(from birthing room to morgue), we identified a common depth of 3.5m for the rooms as the best flexibility for a hospital - allowing for the length of a bed plus a passage way.

With such a modular approach, the program could be ordered into strips of rooms of same width to arrange architecturally.

The requirements of the program led to identifying zones of program that could offer a programmatic connection between neighbouring rooms, while answering the phasing needs of the hospital.

These zones are defined as the children and family quarter, the surgery wing, and the exam and education quarter.

The strips of program are then tied together around courtyards, which are the social knots of the project.

The series of courtyard gardens, each with individual characters, are connected by covered walkways and relate to the program of the surrounding rooms: the education quarter gets a play garden and outdoor amphitheatre, the operation theatre gets a contemplative garden and the children’s area gets a nurturing garden.

Since families may have to travel long distances and sleep overnight, simple and robust accommodation is provided in the form of an additional courtyard where tents can be pitched, sheltered under acacia trees.

The potential threat of theft is acknowledged with a continuous perimeter wall that evolves from phase one to phase two, enclosing securely the hospital, whilst opening on the walls through brick moucharabieh, which offer a connection to the outside.

In the first phase there are three court yards defined by the central ‘serviced’ spine, two branches of rooms and the rectangular perimeter wall.

In the second phase, the existing perimeter wall opens up to merge with new programs. The three existing court yards are fully enclosed by rooms on all sides and an additional courtyard is provided on the east side of the central spine.

2- Material, Technical, Structural

The materials of the project are the most commonly used around east Africa ; pallet of sun dried earth bricks, corrugated steel mono pitch roofs and wooden frame windows have been selected for four reasons:

1. Easy construction using local knowledge,

2. Low cost and easy availability,

3. Easy maintenance,

4. Inherent environmental suitability.

The brick walls are let raw towards the outside, fitting with the local environment, while they are whitewashed (limed) inside of the building, as a symbol for peace, calm and hospital cleanness.

The services (water and electricity) are located in a central spine upon which serviced rooms are placed, hence limiting the need for excess plumbing and wiring, and connecting them directly under the source of supply of water and electricity, the V shaped-roof.

The structure of the building is relying solely on local craftsmanship.

- The heavier structural and perimeter walls, considered as the heavier walls, are made out of two rows of bricks laid in the Flemish bond, which consists of alternating headers and stretchers along each course with the headers centred on the stretchers above and below, making for a stronger structure.

- The partitions are made out of one row of bricks, laid in the stretcher bond, and have no structural functions.

- The brickworks also allow for systems of claustras, which lets light in while preserving intimacy or security, as used in the perimeter walls around the family courtyard and the play garden, as well as the HIV teaching room.

- The beams which support the corrugated steel roof are made out of wood, and stretch towards wooden columns to extend the roof into overhanging eaves.

- The windows are rather narrow and long with frames made out of wood, only requiring short lintels which are structurally easy to achieve.

3- Environmental, Geographical

Rain water is collected by means of two mono-pitch roofs forming a ‘V’ shaped valley which channels rain water into water-butts that can supply water during the dry seasons.

Photo Voltaic cells are located on the roofs and supply power through a power hub and the central spine of the building to the rooms that need it.

Natural ventilation is achieved in three ways.

First by offsetting the roofs from the top of the walls, hence allowing a free circulation of air throughout the building.

Second, by using narrow plan depths of 3.5 meters, ensuring efficient cross ventilation.

And finally, by using a courtyard typology - as the courtyards will have a higher ambient temperature compared with the rooms - hence creating a pressure difference driving natural ventilation

Solar shading for the rooms is provided by the courtyard typology, overhanging eaves and narrow windows.

In the family courtyard, the trees also offer a wide natural solar shading

Thermal lag, which keeps interiors cool in the sun and warmer at night, is ensured by the high thermal mass of the brick.

Sheltered spaces for the rainy season are created along the courtyards, under the generous overhanging eaves.

With the proposed courtyard typology, our goal is to provide an adaptable model for growth and reuse, zoning of different function (administration, accommodation, education, operations), environmental efficiency, privacy, security, and comfort for its users.

It is flexible enough to sit on either a flat or terraced plot, which, coupled with and intelligent use of materials, makes it suitable for very different sites throughout east Africa.

GRADUATION DELPHINE

2008-10-15T21:16:00.068+02:00

THEATER IN MAROSTICA - ITALY

SEPTEMBER 2006

Delphine Borg

Marostica is a Venician town set on the geological plain of Pô and the beginning of the pre-Alps. Huge walls from the 13th century encircle the medieval town, and also wrap a bit of the hill. The project is thought like an echo to the Southern gate of the city. The project plays the game of confrontation with the historical, architectural and medieval city – a sharp dialog with its walls. Outside the walls, three volumes seem to gravitate strangely above the old ditches, and appear to be attacking the medieval city - like middle-age assault towers. The use of wood is a direct reference to the military architecture and to the history of theatres in Europe. An architectural contrast between rigourous and fun, expressed by the shapes outside and the interior spaces, differentiates the technical spaces from the reception spaces, the theatre spaces, and the circulation spaces. The alternatively smooth and knotty design of the open public spaces offers a certain magic to the place, showing the workshops and theatre hall in the way of the 19th century theatres - which were a hyped place for the middle-class. The theatre hall, in the heart of the building, is designed in the typical Italian theatre tradition, and offers great possibilities to the stage play, and a three-dimensional relation with the crowd. What’s more, the use of such a volume is accentuated by the possibility to open the roof, letting the sky in – and the imaginations fly.

GRADUATION BILLY

2008-10-15T21:16:00.067+02:00

MEGAsuture!
Master plan and 1.7 KM megastructure diploma

2007

Billy Guidoni

ARLES DATA

Arles’ town centre, as one of Provence’s historical Roman cities, is a firm tourist favourite, as well as the city’s main identity. However, it only represents a minor part of the city (which has France’s largest territory), as suburbanisation becomes a major problem.
The city is nowadays on the edge of growing tremendously in its territory, until it finally loses its identity.
What’s more, the city in its actual shape shows some frank boundaries..
- Although the banks of the Rhone river seem to be part of the same urban unit, in reality they are separated administratively, and stand for two different cities, districts and areas.
- The Rhone has always been an insuperable obstacle for the citizens of Arles.
- The banks of the Rhone are only arranged punctually by the city centre.
- The railway is a physical boundary for the city’s northern districts, that find themselves locked in a linear junk-space, with no relation to the Rhone.

MASTER PLAN
Stage 1 : A new bridge is created to cross the river at the town centre’s north, defining its clear perimeter.
Stage 2 : New dams protect the city from the risings, and allow walks along the river.
Stage 3 : The railway is raised : the northern part of the city can finally reach the river.
Stage 4 : A new bridge is created at the northern end of the city, closing its peripheral boulevard.

PROJECT
The megastructure can be perceived like a radius of the city, from the town centre to the peripheral boulevard, that sets Arles’ limits.
The project defines itself between two strong horizontal lines : the Rhone’s dams down and the railway up.
The transition from infrastructures to megastructure happens by the suspension of program elements (cultural, sportive, fun, sanitary, commercials and residential) to the existing structural system.
Therefore, its shape is evolutionary : the equipments that answer the city’s needs pop out of the building and make for mark benches. They cut an inverted skyline in front of the river, pursuing the city’s shape.
The removable and articulated weather protection systems constantly redefine the megastructure’s aspect.
As it is situated where the ancient windmills used to be, the structure is very exposed to the winds - it uses its geometry to collect the wind’s bearing pressure, becoming a giant power plant for the city.
The unit answers the great scales that surround it with its massive size, questioning the city, the Rhone, and the whole Arlesian territory.

The megastructure develops as an horizontal element ; this morphology is against that of an high-rise (vertical, a symbol for hierarchy), and places its users on the same ground.
That’s why the megastructure cannot be considered a closed building, but rather a prolongation of the city. The accesses are designed through the viaduct’s large pillars, and are entirely public.

The gangways become streets (a cross between the opposite Smithsonian et Corbusean concepts), and make the best out of the cusps and openings released by the equipments and housing blocks, to offer visual openings and anomalies, places for events and small infrastructures.
The structure’s urban life develops in these slices of emptiness, like in the city, with its squares, its cafes, its benches, and its mail man on his bike.

The apartments answer the evolving needs of Arles’ inhabitants. They play with the whole megastructure concept within their own scale : they are fitted with prefabricated functional-service furniture that only stand on the suspended floors and gather the electric household appliances, as well as the whole networks.

Suspended between earth and sky, these apartment act like houses that can protect their inhabitants from strong weather, transforming into cocoons.
But their protections can also completely disappear, and let the sun, the wind and the people cohabit - if they feel like it...

(masters in Architecture diploma 2006-2007 - studio In Ex ; Jacques Sbriglio, Ivry Serres, Stéphane Fernandez, )

HOUSING IN PARIS

2008-10-15T21:16:00.065+02:00

HOUSING IN PARIS
CAUE PARIS

March 2007

Billy Guidoni, Delphine Borg

In a given urban surrounding, we first took into account the maximum volume that could be created according the urban laws. Soon, we found the geometrical shape that resulted could allow a garden, which seems of great value, when set in town. It seemed important, in its urban context, that the building should align on the Paul Maurice street, to keep the urban continuity. On the other hand, the Frères Flaviens street doesn’t need the same rigour. Therefore, the project creates an offset, as well as a mark bench, by stretching one of the building’s angles. In this configuration, the southern volumes were outshading those of the north, and both were blocking their sights. These problems were solved by raising the northern volumes, which then become sun-lit once again. The southern volumes have a sight below them. The new block offers a porosity under the northern volumes, but still little connection with the city towards the south and with its higher volumes. Therefore, the volumes were hollowed to create some passages in their important spots. The block’s identity varies on each of its side, combining the North/South, high/low, urban/vernacular, East/West properties to creates facades working best for each, and giving each volume its own identity. At the city scale, the addition of an equipment seemed important for such an operation - therefore we added a kindergarten at an angle, whose aspect, pink and shiny, would differentiate it from the residences. We believe that the quality of a life in community is a direct result of the feelings that influence movement, controlled intimacy, user-friendiness, tranquility when required and above all, variety. That is why the project abounds in common spaces ; the size of the block (65 apartments), is favorable for a good community life, everyone getting to know each other, and becoming their neighbors. The block offers a community room, a bike room, a showroom, and a great garden on the ground floor. The garden is made of small valleys, steps, multiple fruit trees and of course a great and venerable tree, a symbol of peace and happiness. Every roofs are accessible, and offer more common spaces to the inhabitants. Roofs 1 and 4 are allotted to the kindergarten, offering a playground and a small pool. Roofs 2 and 3 are destined to any block inhabitant ; they feature planted grounds, but also sport fields (badminton/volley, basketball). As the Frères Flaviens facade is the most important one (being adjacent to a main street), it is offset and offers a square, leading to the main entrance. one could also enter under building 2, or between buildings 3 and 4 to reach the center of the block, the lifts, the gangways, and then : home. The project’s environmental concerns take into account the positioning of the building in its site, but also the use of sustainable materials. Wood is used as an isolating boarding, and sun visor ; prefabricated concrete when heavy structures and carcass work require it ; glass, depending on its opacity, as glazing or sun-proofing ; natural textile as sun-proofing ; steel as joinery and railings. Every apartment can control the amount of light coming in, as well as the ventilation, making them totally adjustable.

POET'S HOUSE

2008-10-15T21:15:00.025+02:00

POET'S HOUSE
MADE OF STEAL COMPETITION

APRIL 2007

THIRD PRIZE

Billy Guidoni, Delphine Borg

The project for a poetry center is broken into four separate identities: the auditorium, the poetry center itself, and two residences. The auditorium is a red lantern that floats on water, like a mark on the sea for the equipment. Set on floating concrete boxes, the volume is only linked to the poetry center by an articulated footbridge, that gives it a gentle degree of freedom. In the port, among the sailboats, the lantern-auditorium can open to offer sights towards the city or the shipyards. At night it lights up to become an icon for the project. The building is made of a primary structure of steel, forming a simple frame. The wind-bracings are created by a secondary structure made of prefabricated steel hoopings available in three different dimensions, which bring to mind the boats’ port-holes. Perforated steel sheet, associated with red boat sail contributes in creating a diffuse light in the amphitheater. the building that holds the multimedia library, the reading rooms, the café, the main hall, the lavatories as well as the lodgings for visiting artists is the poetry center itself. Its multiple-functions allow for its shape to be evolving ; it is therefore a lot more blurry than the auditorium. The poetry center utilizes a large existing wall to gently land on it, therefore creating the junction between the port and the pier. On the opposite side, the public enters the building by a large helicoid ramp, suspended to the structure and leading to the main hall. The center is organized on two floors. On the first one is a multimedia library, that works as a labyrinth, papered in shelves, in which one finds three reading rooms that offer different sights on the city and the sea. These rooms serve as light wells that can be opened in the summer, and which shape remind of the boats’ chimneys. On the upper deck are the lodgings for the visiting artists, poets and comedians, in the form of little independent container-rooms, with a common kitchen on the terrace. The staff residences are designed like large container boxes simply siting on the wall.

HAND-MADE

2008-10-15T19:48:00.019+02:00

Delphine Borg

SPACE FOR ART

2008-10-15T19:02:00.040+02:00

SPACE FOR ART

JANUARY 2008

HONORABLE MENTION

Delphine Borg with Billy Guidoni

The new La Reunion TX site is truly nature’s domain. Densely wooded and quite uneven, it is also home to a pond and a stream within a hundred year floodplain. The only traces of human occupancy are two wooden buildings and an impressive concrete trestle - which nature has started to bite into. To minimize foundation, find an even ground, seek light through nature and protect itself from a flood, the building uses the existing trestle to rise appropriately. Made out of white-painted wood in simple structural assembly, consisting in terraces integrated in between basic volumes, the building recalls the architectural spirit of the colony houses that were used by the former La Reunion community. From the parking spaces along Jefferson Blvd.., a path leads through the two existing buildings, which structures and roofs only are kept to house temporary public exhibitions. The path then meanders through the trestle, inspired by the trees’ gestures, offering a very sensitive physical confrontation between an ever-powerfull natural surrounding, a rough concrete structure, and a delicate architecture. Inspired by pioneer houses and modernity as an heritage of American architecture, the building offers stimulating, peaceful and open contemporary spaces for a conversation between new and traditional media artists. Additional residences and studios for up to ten artists (phase 2) would offer the same kind of architecture in a more compact way, stepping over the stream on a newly-built structure of little foundation. Linked to it, an outdoor amphitheater allowing seating for up to 200 people (phase 3) would overlook the pound - and loose itself into nature.