The Docks Dombasles / Hamonic + Masson architects

Dec 2009

Uploaded by Nico Saieh — Filed under: Housing ,Offices ,Selected , France, Hamonic + Masson architects, Mixed Use, Steel

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Architects: Hamonic + Masson architects
Location: Le Havre, France
Project Team: Gaëlle Hamonic, Jean-Christophe Masson, Marie-Agnès de Bailliencourt, Cédric Brégeot
Client: Investir Immobilier
Hydraulic Engineer: EGCL
Structural Engineer: Peyronnel
Quantity Surveyor: Kabock
Project Area: 3,024 sqm
Budget: 3,20 M€
Project Year: 2009
Photographs: Hervé Abbadie & Jean-Christophe Masson

Hamonic et Masson’s mixed-use office and housing building is part of an initiative to preserve and reuse the industrial heritage of the southern quarters of Le Havre, France. Through its scale, rhythm, shape and materials, the project forms an integral part of a re-envisioned harbour landscape, creating the transition between a domestic scale and the greater harbour landscape.

site plan

A 19th century brick warehouse, or avéole, was conserved and incorporated into the project to house the office space required in the programme. The warehouse’s silhouette and scale subsequently inspired the repetitive module that was used for the housing portion of the project. The use of modules allowed for a prefabricated construction system, both for the concrete structure and the metal façade.

The southern, dockside, elevation comprises of a pattern of metal balustrades and sun-shading devices that refer to the character of the site: galvanised metal, grey fabric blinds that help enliven the façade and white fabric privacy screens.

The apartments are all double orientated with living spaces and large balconies facing south towards the water and services to the north. Outdoor passageways and staircases provide access to the apartments while also providing a dynamic northern façade.

To each apartment is given the same benefits – outdoor private space, direct southern light, sun shading systems and natural ventilation – despite the fact that the programme includes both social housing and high quality apartments for sale. The differences occur only within: owners buying off the plan were able to modify and adapt their apartments during construction, and the majority of private apartments have double height living rooms with mezzanines.

The entire building is lifted a half-floor above the quay to clearly define the limit between public and private space and to liberate the ground floor for a naturally ventilated parking and garden. This half-floor is enclosed by a pattern of perforated metal sheeting and green glass panels, graphically referring to the vegetation found in the neighbouring park and urban space, designed by Obras architects.

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Hervé Abbadie

: © Jean-Christophe Masson

: © Jean-Christophe Masson

: © Jean-Christophe Masson

: site plan

: floor plans

: typologies plans

: sections

Cite:
Saieh , Nico . "The Docks Dombasles / Hamonic + Masson architects" 12 Dec 2009. ArchDaily. Accessed 09 Feb 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/43394>

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Pierre Batbatian says:

the concept is cool, but i dont really like it that much, it feels like its missing something

# December 13, 2009 at 02:24

neoinc. says:

i guess green roofing would be a nice thing…

# December 13, 2009 at 05:59

Joshua says:

good according with tradition style

# December 14, 2009 at 03:53

sullka says:

Those floor plan layouts are terrible. Of course, I’m commenting based only on what I see, no idea what’s behind that design decision.

-TYPE A: why on earth would you make the main bedroom’s bath the powder room?, specially when you already have a secondary public bathroom (with 2 sinks and but no WC????), however, even if you want to do this (again, no idea why), you could easily fit a regular bathroom layout in there, plus a the walk-in-closet, plus the second door to the bedroom without separating bath from WC. It doesn’t makes any sense the way it’s now.

-Type B: Unless there’s a scale issue, and those beds and furniture aren’t real size, that long bedroom in the second floor is wasting space that could be used to improve your second floor bath (private). Actually it looks that by rotaing the tub (transversal), you could fit a sink and a WC in that space already.

# December 14, 2009 at 14:48

Julien says:

Sullka –
Plan 1: In France it is common practice (enforced by the Qualitel label) to separate the WC from the bathroom. With this in mind, the plan gives easy access to both from the living spaces (knowing that the building code dictates that toilets can not give directly onto the living room).
Plan 2: The portion to the right has a head height under 2m (see the section) due to the sloping roof, hence not allowable in a bathroom (but perfectly alright for the bed).

Both plans allow for natural ventilation, spacious/flexible living spaces and large sunny balconies.

# December 16, 2009 at 04:36

Kārlis Mičulis says: