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The mixed-use eco-district “La Cartoucherie” is built on a former industrial site on the left bank of the Garonne comprising apartments, commercial space and public facilities for schools, sports and leisure. Our “Wood’art” complex is part of the award-winning project in the Adiv’bois national competition. 75% of the buildings are constructed in timber – an increasingly popular choice in France. Together with Seuil Architecture, we built flats, shops and a hotel on a 13,000 m² site.
Terracotta shingles, echoing local building traditions, form a double skin of façade along the paths and passages of the tower and in front of the loggias of the flats. The visual unity of our architecture creates a distinctive reference point for the neighbourhood, while the diversity of the public spaces, the permeability of the blocks and the social and functional mix of the buildings guarantee a lively environment for the users. The common base connects all the buildings. The basement houses shops and public facilities, while the park-like planting above provides an attractive recreational space for all residents
Apart from the concrete access core, the building structures are made entirely of wood, with load-bearing walls and floors in CLT and non-load-bearing façades of timber frame walls. The two-dimensional modules (floors and walls) are prefabricated in the factory. The prefabrication of the individual modules means short assembly times on site, less noise and dust pollution for local residents and enormous ecological advantages. Wood stores carbon dioxide, is regionally available and renewable, and saves energy thanks to its excellent thermal insulation properties. The lush green gardens on the roof of the plinth are visible from the square providing meeting spaces for residents. They also form a reserve for biodiversity and limit the creation of heat islands.
On the edge of the public square, lined by the tram axis, the nine-storey hotel tower sets a clear accent in the new district. Two residential complexes behind it rise above a plinth with shops and public facilities. A pedestrian street connects all buildings, opening up to create space for café terraces. La Cartoucherie echoes the local building traditions, reacts to its context and revives the area. The common zones not only connect the new buildings amongst each other, but also establish a relation with the already existing surroundings. The basement houses shops and public facilities, while the park-like planting above provides an attractive recreational space for all residents. The hotel and the residential buildings are constructed from two-dimensional, prefabricated wooden modules. In the flats, untreated wood surfaces offer a natural, healthy living environment for all the senses. Seeing, touching, smelling – wood awakens emotions and creates a sense of well-being. Underfloor heating, which is connected to the Eco-Quartier’s heating network, spreads mild radiant heat and increases this effect even further. Partition walls made of CLT enable modular construction and flexible adaptation of the flat floor plans if required.
La Cartoucherie shows that wood is an excellent building material, not only because of its ecologically sustainable qualities and its positive effect on the quality of living but also due to its affordability and constructional properties in large-scale, urban buildings.
We are an international studio, focusing on respectful use of resources, development of socially balanced spaces and appreciation of the respective context. Since our founding, we have played a pioneering role in modern timber construction. Today, managed by Helmut Dietrich, Much Untertrifaller, Dominik Philipp and Patrick Stremler, we employ an international team of over 130 people at locations in Austria, Switzerland, France and Germany. The entire spectrum from large-scale buildings, urban structures to alterations of existing buildings and single-family homes defies specialization, inspires creativity and an inquiring mind. A decisive factor in all our work is the resource-saving and appropriate use of materials, with a particular commitment to contemporary timber construction. We are well known for our expertise and maintain this knowhow through relationships of dialogue and trust with clients, craftsmen and engineers. We share our knowledge in course of lectures and in teaching.
