Center for Higher Education and University Researches of Le Havre
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Center for Higher Education and University Researches of Le Havre

Baumschlager Eberle | Christian Hauvette

Center for Higher Education and University Researches of Le Havre
By Christian Hauvette -

The building is made of two twin elements, side by side, centralizing three establishments: the campus of Sciences-Politiques for undergrad education and the two schools SPI (Sciences for engineers) and INSA-Civil engineering. We eventually proposed to group together the three institutions in two different entities unified in one single building. This emblem – public facilities – is first characterized by its large size, its height, and its length. It develops a “critical mass” in accordance with its ambition and investment. To help with this process, we clearly decided to extend the front line of the building on “Réunion” wharf and “Bain des docks” street in order to create a public place for both buildings, providing an access to the Eure basin and facing the city. The forecourt sheltered by the overhang of the building protects the entrances of the three schools. Therefore, the new education center is aiming at the city and it can also be seen from downtown Le Havre. To get onto its morphology, the building is composed of a large and rectangular two-storey flat hall, topped by a three-storey porch-like building, in order to create a raised roof and cantilever overhangs. Both linear entrance halls are highlighted by the cut of the first two floors on the forecourt. The glazed façade of these halls is precisely aligned with the “bain des docks” building, at the opposite of the street. The building is about 80 meters long and 60 meters large. The overhanging cantilever volume gives the building an intriguing feeling of a high degree of proficiency in construction techniques.

Baumschlager Eberle

Location: Le Havre, France
Client: Codah - Communauté de l'agglomération havraise
Completion: 2012
Gross Floor Area: 8.689 m2
Cost of Construction: 17.800.000 Euros
Architects: Christian Hauvette - be paris / baumschlager eberle
Design Team: Manon Vaillé, Sophie Peloux, Melanie Drechsler, Charlotte Chebassier,
Laure Bunel, Benjamin Grousselas, Vinciane Albrecht, Jean-Marie Lesène Associate
Architect: Pierre Champenois

Consultants
Structural: Batiserf
Acoustic: Acoustique Yves Hernot
Economist: Bureau Michel Forgue
Security and Fire Control: Cete Apave Nord-Ouest
HVAC and Sustainability: Alto

Photography: © Sebastien Morel

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