NOGENT SUR OISE

Between comfort, durability and functionality, the problems of the Educational Unit of Collective Accommodation of Nogent-sur-Oise are multiple. The presence of an existing town house, a large outdoor plot of land and the problems of layout and access make this project a complex architectural ensemble. It is a question of adding an extension to the existing house, taking advantage of both a view on the street and a view on the garden, while respecting the existing.

The material chosen for the construction, natural solid stone, has many qualities both in terms of its durability and its carbon footprint, but also because it is a material that creates jobs locally and highlights a craft know-how. Its cost is not higher than a concrete and cladding construction, and its environmental quality and longevity are undeniable. The malleability of this material is used here to cut it in such a way as to let as much light as possible into the rooms, cutting the stone at an angle around the windows.

The extension of the building is built to follow the curve of the sun to take advantage of maximum exposure to natural light. Well-being is at the heart of the problem, and the natural flow of circulation caused by the shape of the building is a big part of it.
The offices of the educators, the director, the supervisors, as well as the secretariat and other administrative parts are scattered among the living rooms of the students: the bedrooms, the classrooms, the common activities…This distribution aims to create an invisible surveillance as well as a natural flow among the residents.

Added to the existing house are an access for handicapped people, an additional entrance, a garage integrated into the building, and a new and efficient organization of the rooms. The rooms are arranged in a natural way, with the residents’ rooms opening onto the garden, the administrative part taking place in the existing house and the classrooms and activity rooms being located on the first floor.

The aim was to retain as much as possible of the positive aspects of the existing building while adding a functional, long-lasting extension that would create a sense of well-being for both the residents and the staff working there.