Fruehauf, Henry & Viladoms: Saint-Sulpice Apartments - best architects 16

Fruehauf, Henry & Viladoms

Saint-Sulpice Apartments

best architects 16

multi-family homes

Place

Saint-Sulpice / France

Description

The twelve-unit residence was carefully embedded in the natural landscape, its folded façade setting it apart from the neighbouring buildings. Due to the sloping plot, the underground garage and the building itself are both accessed at the basement level, through an entrance carved out of the hillside. This solution further reinforces the autonomous character of the freestanding volume in the park. The floor plan is organised concentrically in four layers: a spacious stairwell in the centre, then the bathrooms with the apartment hallways, the living areas and finally cantilevered balconies wrapping all the way round. Each apartment thus occupies a corner of the building and benefits from views out onto the tree-lined landscape through two fully glazed façades. Despite the generous glazing, the building meets the Minergie energy efficiency standard thanks to the compact organisation of the plan.