The Paper Nursery by Wild Rabbits Architects

The Paper Nursery
The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects

How to raise the density and enhance the quality of the urban landscape at the same time? At the top of the Belleville’s area, an ancient playground of a social housing building is now occupied by a strange object, half garden, half space-ship.

The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects

Nowadays the folded brass membrane shines like a rap clip, but it will be soon covered by a grass colored patina and the west façade will match more and more better with the vegetal roof. As a purpose it is a nursery, but for the neighbors it is a piece of landscape, built to become even more attractiv day after day.

The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects

Could a landlock field appear to be open if we look it from the right side? The nursery is not visible from the street. A porch roof marks the entry which leads the people through a gallery under the buildings of the street. Once the the children are inside, they forgot the wall of building they just past as they are standing on a space widly open to the exterior playground.

The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects

Then, the all nursery takes place on one single storey, fixed by boxes, and lighted and structured by a Shed. On this side, the façade is no more misteryous and it’s easy for the children to recognize the function of every boxes : a rest room, a wearing area..

The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects

Does the green aspects  of a building have to be  exposed to the people? A compact shape, a very good natural ligthing, an efficient covering, an important output of renewal air, only checked materials… The basics are all good. But the extras qualities are barely invisible.

The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects

Some are hiden technicals skills like the motorized windows loaded by the night VN during the summer or the damp-proof dryer wich keeps the building dry… The other ecological bonus of the building deal more with a clever  approach of the site.

The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects

The building is set on a still working parking, and all the materials of a kit construction have been delivered trhough a sort of underground gallery. This light means of construction avoids to reinforce the parking. It is no more visible nowadays, but it saved a lot of money and gray energy.

The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects

However the green rooftop is more iconic and it comunicates about a couple of issues unknown by many people like the stormwater, the biodiversity, the inertia or the sprinkling.

The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects

Furthermore, it is a good way to remind this strong and ancient link between nature and architecture, wich at time creates nice things. Source by WRA.

The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects

Location: Paris, France
Architect: WRA
Architect in charge: Vladimir Doray
Project Team: Vladimir Doray, Fabrice Lagarde with Martin Robillard, Jean Yves Tasset, Adèle Arnaud, Laura Landes, Laurence Tremblay, Jade Sonet, Audrey de la Guarigue, Benoit Campo, Juliette Laguerre, Amandine Car, Eliott Bertrand, Shaun Graam, Lola Boyau, Elsa Milly, Maeva Sinou
Project management: Tribu, Mecobat, Coretude
Client: Paris Habitat OPH
Cost: 2.9M €
Area: 900 sqm
Year: 2014
Photographs: Courtesy of WRA

The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects
The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects
The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects
The Paper Nursery
Image © Wild Rabbits Architects

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