urbanmakers

living environments
Nestled in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, the Villa des Tulipes evokes a bucolic and unspoilt universe. A legacy of 19th century Paris, this pedestrian street has retained its atmosphere of yesteryear, a quiet villa where the uniqueness of each dwelling is expressed in an overall harmony.
In this unusual northern Parisian setting, the future boarding house is to be finely inserted between the Villa des Tulipes and the old railway line commonly known as the “Petite Ceinture” which borders it to the south. From an urban point of view, it will thus conclude the architectural sequence initiated by the Rue des Tulipes in the form of a prow.
A guesthouse is a place where one can finally breathe, rebuild and project oneself. We have chosen to express the nobility of this vocation through a hospitable, gentle and sensitive architecture. The materials are of high quality, with the idea of giving the greatest possible consideration to people who have experienced difficult journeys. The elegance of this architecture is also a way of initiating a friendship with the people living in the street: the arrival of this building must indeed be seen as a positive change.
The volumetry of the project describes a mineral architecture with simple and taut lines. The sloping façades on the high floors provide an eye-catcher for the prospect on which the building is leaning. Along the Rue du Ruisseau, successive recesses initiate a stepped spreading out. Finally, the gardens around the perimeter of the future building are part of the continuity of the domestic landscape of the Villa des Tulipes.
Taking advantage of a very favourable urban context, all the flats have been positioned to the south, fully open to the soothing landscape of the Little Ring Road. The windows therefore play a central role: in each flat, they are not just frames for views, they are real “living settings”. Designed as alcoves, they are fitted into the thickness of the walls to form a living threshold, a seating area, a space conducive to contemplation. This poetic layout is an invitation to develop one’s personality: it can become a shelf, a library, a miniature garden…. These windows offer the opportunity to be among the city’s business while remaining in the background, protected, being there without being there.

program residential shelter with 28 dwellings client Paris Habitat area 1 011m² cost 2.1M €HT work full service phase competition