Lucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture

Lucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - Facade, Windows, Handrail, BalconyLucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - Windows, Facade, ConcreteLucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - Windows, BeamLucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - Handrail, BeamLucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - More Images+ 22

Marseille, France
  • Inspection Organisation: Alpes Contrôles
  • Safety Coordinator: QUALICONSULT
  • Structure Bet, Vrd + Cfo Bet, Cfa + Cvc, Acoustic: TPFI
  • Economist: L’Echo
  • Moe Exe – Opc: Arteba
  • General Contactor: Travaux du Midi (Vinci)
  • Designer Constructor Of Wood Solutions: Arbonis
  • Client: Crous in Aix-Marseille Avignon
  • Program: Wooden construction of 200 lodgings in an eight-floor building, Cité U Lucien Cornil site
  • City: Marseille
  • Country: France
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Lucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - Windows, Facade, Concrete
© Benoit Wehrlé

Text description provided by the architects. In Marseilles, A+Architecture has designed one of the highest wooden buildings in France for the CROUS: the Lucien Cornil hall of residence. This eight-floor student residence is the fruit of a successful environmental and construction period. Its sensitive urban approach makes this 200-room structure a functional building, comfortable and opening out towards the city.

Master Plan

Consisting of three wings, the design benefits from a very high ground floor and attics on the top two levels as well as quality shared spaces. The graduation of the building heights of the project will interact with the surrounding buildings and leave them with space to breath despite the density of the area.

Lucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - Column, Handrail
© Benoit Wehrlé

Most of the rooms are directed towards the enclosed garden, a genuinely relaxing indoor garden, on the street side, the openings are positioned along the less noisy alley. In this constricted urban environment, the choice of wood construction (excluding vertical knots) was obvious. Reduction in disruption caused by the works, an optimised schedule, but also a commitment to the comfort of the residence are what convinced the CROUS to embark on the adventure.

Lucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - Windows, Beam
© Benoit Wehrlé
Lucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - Handrail, Beam
© Benoit Wehrlé

Wood is found on all the ceilings and on the walls of the rooms, the latter being sound-proofed. It is also present in the corridors and communal rooms, but not on the facings where its ageing is deemed too visible. Its strong interior presence gives the impression of a warm and relaxing atmosphere with soft acoustics. The wooden shrouds, with cross-laminated assembly, give off a forest scent.

Lucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - Facade, Windows, Handrail, Balcony
© Benoit Wehrlé

The use of solid wood CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) limits energy consumption and provides an excellent carbon footprint. “The entire building has been designed to be very heat and acoustically efficient, while maintaining consistent lines and at a very competitive price”, states A+Architecture.

Lucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - Windows
© Benoit Wehrlé

The cladding is something else. A perforated curved panel is mixed with large aluminium shingles to mix up the lines, reduce the scale and break-down the volumes. The perforated skin passes in front of a section of wide glazed strips, transforming the building in the evening to a beacon of light in the Marseillaise night

Lucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - Windows, Facade
© Benoit Wehrlé

The landscaped interior garden, mainly pointing towards the city, is given over to meetings, the large piazza connecting with the rue Saint Pierre entrance highlights the carefully preserved majestic pine tree

First Floor Plan

The light is magnified everywhere, sometimes filtered behind the perforations of the cladding’s protective cladding sheets or behind the aluminium railings in the upper sections of the communal areas, somewhat generous for the rooms, the blanking is provided by a roller shutter which closes off the entire opening.

Lucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - Windows, Bed, Bedroom, Chair
© Benoit Wehrlé

In a dense area, the location and choice of space occupied have enabled the communal areas, the circulation areas and the views to provide a functional building that opens up onto the city.

Lucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture - Windows, Facade, Cityscape
© Benoit Wehrlé

The wooden structure combined with a sensitive and functional architecture provides a solution very much of its time; innovative and in-tune with the environment.

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Project location

Address:Marseille, France

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Lucien Cornil Student Residence / A+Architecture" 21 Feb 2018. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/889353/lucien-cornil-student-residence-a-plus-architecture> ISSN 0719-8884

© Benoit Wehrlé

法国科尔尼学生公寓,八层纯木结构打造宜人居所 / A+Architecture

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