1 Hervé Potin et Anne-Flore Guinée
2 Temporary Housings, “ ZAC des neufs journaux”
3 Collective Housings, ZAC Courtil Brécard
4 Collective Housings and individual passive houses
5 Rennes land Ecomuseum
6 Rennes land Ecomuseum
7 Centre for discovery, scientific culture and research on Environment and Biodiversity
8 Centre for discovery, scientific culture and research on Environment and Biodiversity
9 Public Services House
10 Tréverien School extension
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Guinée Potin
At the same time discreet and talented, Anne-Flore Guinée and Hervé Potin subtlety advocate the development of architecture focusing on materials.
Anne-Flore Guinée (1973) and Hervé Potin (1972) have met at the Rennes Architecture School and have followed a similar route up to the end of their studies. They graduated respectively in 1997 and 1996.At the beginning of their professional life, she joined the team of Christian Hauvette, whilst he, after a training period with François Roche, started working with the office Edouard François/Duncan Lewis. A stay at the Medicis Villa in Rome enabled them to start a reflection on material and form, particularly a new approach on the buildings’ skin. “Researches are very much influenced by radical utopias of the sixties and a certain contextual architecture of the nineties, they indicate (…) The praise of architectural banality is a dangerous pretext enabling to justify, figuratively, a second-rate architecture”. Just after a stay in Addis Abeba (Ethiopia) in 2002, thanks to a scholarship 'The other side of cities', they created their own office in Nantes, simply called Guiné e Potin. An office to be dedicated to architecture and arts, Anne-Flore acting as a plastic artist. Each piece of their work shows a real commitment. “Our approach falls within the development of a contextual architecture, which is also expressive, attentive and radical, dreamlike and real”. The skin of their buildings wants to be the link between architecture and environment.
Already in 2006, in the book 'Extra Muros, Architecture of Delight' (Patrice Goulet / Archibooks Editions/Architecture City) noted that the charm of their projects came mainly from their liberty of expression. “It is not that they have have forgotten History, but on the contrary because they have very much admired the antique mosaics and baroque claddings, as much as the works of Gaudi and Horta, but more because they dare to mix natural and artificial, raw and sophisticated, hard and soft... and that nothing seems to be able to stop them. They are finally as much artists and landscape designers than architects. Collage, colouring, diversion, crossing, folding, setting, inlay, veneer, interference, contamination, etc. are there to serve a sensual, expressive and magic architecture.”
As examples, the 16 housing projects in the ZAC of New Papers in Chanteple (2008), forming three small wood/concrete framework constructions completed by a Douglas pine cladding, so as to softly integrate into the surrounding rural landscape. The play of volumes created on the façade is the result of an interlocking work of the housings on two levels. Each one takes the qualities of an individual house with comfortable interior spaces, an individualized access and a private outside area. This approach comes back in the 20 collective housing projects near St Nazaire, where the vegetal heritage is maintained to create visual filters. Or furthermore the bioclimatic project of 41 collective housings and 3 individual houses near Nantes (2015), where they used the last passive technologies, thanks to a green roof, small heating needs and a double flux active ventilation system. Well integrated to the site, the mixed concrete/wood structure permits a good thermal inertia and acoust ic insulation. As to the dressing, the architects have also chosen Douglas pine, with a few metal touches on the northern side to break the monotony and the linearity of the façades.
Throughout the years, some astonishing projects propose to revisit traditional techniques and typologies.The Rennes ecomuseum (2010), a very noteworthy project, opens the way for the two architects to international reputation. Starting from a statement on the ancient constructions' qualities and on the potentiality offered by the site’s landscape possibilities, the project shows a geometric motive dressing proposing the scale of a “signal building”. The different woody materials used in the building’s envelop, as much as in the construction itself create the place’s identity. The constructive approach has aimed to very reliable targets in terms of energy management and maintenance (aerotherm heat pump air/water, wooden frame-skeleton-cladding, 75% green roofing, hemp wool insulation, Fermacell doubling, rubber floor, water recuperation, etc.)
Other noticed building fully respecting the site, the Beautour Biodiversity Centre in Laroche-sur-Yon (2013), which is based on the restructuring and extension of the ancient home and estate of the botanist and naturalist Georges Durand (1886-1964). In order to welcome a museum dedicated to a part of his collection of plants, birds and insects. Taking account of the natural heritage’s topography and quality has resulted in a route with a soft wooden structure slope, slightly off the land. With a strong identity, like a branch put on the ground, the extension stretches over about hundred meters and rests on piles made of solid chestnut trunks. Form and material are finally merged, as the façade and the roof are both wrapped with the same material, meaning the thatch of the Vendée wooden countryside, developed with new techniques. Rearranged, the existing building is covered with a grey lime coating.
In Quimper, the Public Services House is dressed with a geometric motive clear wood, in echo to the timbering in Quimper’s historical centre. It revolves rationally around an atrium. The architects have implemented a bioclimatic architecture (compactness with great inertia, passive use of the sun’s energy, sunny south façade, zenithal lighting by the atrium, reinforced exterior insulation, etc.)
The recent extension of the School in Tréverien (Ille et Vilaine) refers to the vernacular constructions. The full south orientation enables to develop a Trombe wall system* behind the windows in each class, permitting to return in heat the calories produced by the sun in winter. On the contrary, a canopy protects the classrooms from the summer sun. As to the materials, the walls are made of cob, a mixture more humid than adobe rammed earth and very much used in the region of Rennes for its good resistance to climatic conditions. Always faithful to their ideas, Anne-Flore Guinée and Hervé Potin claim their attachment to traditional construction methods. “Wood, thatch, tree trunks, green roofings are our tools, they say. We like to talk about coats when referring to façades or roofings. We like them to be rugged and apt to catch colours and reflects. Then it appears that these buildings offer excellent energy performance, it is very positive.”
* Building system using solar energy by the greenhouse effect, experimented by Professor Félix Trombe with the cooperation of the architect Jacques Michel in the years 1950/1970.
Legends
1 Hervé Potin and Anne-Flore Guinée
2 Temporary Housings, “ ZAC des neufs journaux” Chantepie (2005-2008)
3 Collective Housings, ZAC Courtil Brécard, St Marc, St Nazaire (2009-2013)
4 Collective Housings and individual passive houses, Orvault (2012-2015).
5 & 6 Rennes land Ecomuseum (2007-2010)
7 & 8 Centre for discovery, scientific culture and research on Environment and Biodiversity, La Roche-sur-Yon (2010-2013 + 2014)
9 Public Services House, Quimper (2010-2013)
10 Tréverien School extension, Ille et Vilaine (2012-2016)
www.guineepotin.fr
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15th edition of Middle East’s largest real estate investment and development exhibition returns from 6 - 8 September 2016
For more than fifteen years, Cityscape Global has been the bridge between emerging and mature real estate markets bringing together investors and professionals from Asia, Middle East, Africa, Russia and the Indian subcontinent with those from Europe and the US. With over 43,000 participants expected, Cityscape is the annual opportunity to build and maintain your presence across emerging real estate markets.
This year flagship event will feature a range of country pavilions, including those dedicated to exhibitors from the UK, Pakistan, and India, a seminar theatre for exhibitors and a number of big-league speakers at the Cityscape Conference.
On the day preceding the show (5 September), the Cityscape Global Conference is expected to gather an exclusive mix of more than a 1,200 delegates and speakers taking part in three dedicated conference programmes: Market Overview, Architecture, and Real Estate Brokers.
For the first time since the Conference inception, the Market Overview programme will feature one of the most sought-after speakers, Rohit Talwar, a globally-renowned futurist and strategist, who will debate risk management and ground-breaking development strategies in legislation and investment policies for the global and local real estate market in the near future.
Following the success in 2015, the show returns with the Cityscape Talks seminar theatre, offering exhibitors dedicated space in the centre of Hall 1 on the show floor to engage with visitors and host presentations showcasing their organisations’ expertise and latest property developments.
The opening day of the show will feature the Cityscape Awards for Emerging Markets, an awards programme attracting hundreds of entries from developers and architects across emerging markets globally.
More about the event and/or register in advance please visit: https://bit.ly/23jkOSw
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