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Trailblazing French social housing pioneer Renée Gailhoustet passes away aged 93

2023-01-10T18:31:00-05:00

Noted French modernist and social housing pioneer Renée Gailhoustet passed away on January 4th at her home outside of Paris, the nation’s largest newspaper, Le Monde, reported earlier on Tuesday.

Known for creating the master plan for Ivry-sur-Seine; the 1972 Cité Spinoza housing complex in the same town; Le Liégat (where she also resided); and the La Maladrerie development in the suburb of Aubervilliers, Gailhoustet’s designs in the typology were critically important in their divergence from the Corbusian model of planning that predominated in the country in the decades following World War II.

After attending the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Paris, Gailhoustet began her own practice in the French capital in 1964. From there, she gained recognition for her innovative, socially-conscious contributions to urban renewal projects in Ivry-sur-Seine, Villejuif, and Saint-Denis that mirrored approaches later taken up by architects like Moshe Safdie in their insistence upon more humane...

Renée Gailhoustet takes home the 2022 Royal Academy Architecture Prize

2022-05-31T12:42:00-04:00

Renée Gailhoustet has been named the winner of this year’s Royal Academy of Arts Architecture Prize in recognition of her work surrounding urban planning and social housing in her native country of France.

The jury commended Gailhoustet for her “strong social commitment that brings together generosity, beauty, ecology, and inclusivity.” The 92-year-old’s breadth of significant works spans from early projects such as the master plan of Ivry-sur-Seine, which includes the Cité Spinoza housing complex completed in 1972, to the La Maladrerie development in Aubervilliers, and, finally, the Le Liégat, where the architect has resided since its completion in 1977.

Ivry-sur-Seine. Image: © Marc Pataut

“By using innovative geometries and mixing uses in her buildings, Gailhoustet has created a compelling argument for blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior, and, collective and individual,” part of the jury statement explains.

Within the long and storied history of social housing i...

Hamonic+Masson completes complex three-building office development in France

2020-09-02T13:02:00-04:00

Paris-based Hamonic+Masson & Associates has completed "Urban Quartz," an urban development of three office buildings designed to establish a more prominent office sector in Rennes, France. Each structure is uniquely shaped to create the impression of a canyon-like experience through jagged folds and cornering.

The 14,000 square meters of office space is divided into two main clusters with one cluster containing two of the three buildings, connected by three bridges to allow occupants to travel between each structure; and the other cluster consisting of a single building to add an anchoring point to the lot.

Building tenants will enjoy a series of framed urban viewpoints spread throughout each massing. These take the form of large geometries of glazing that outline distinct views in the surrounding landscape and smaller apertures spread more evenly along each facade.

Triangular perforated screens provide an added layer of detail and porosity to the facade system while giving the re...

Ubalt Architectes complete Adidas-branded renovation of French National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance

2020-05-13T12:48:00-04:00

Paris-based design studio Ubalt Architectes has redesigned a number of spaces at France's National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance (INSEP) as a part of its partnership with Adidas. The primary aim of the renovation was to create a sustainable and functional environment for the organization's athletes.

Locker rooms, lounge space, corridors, and meeting spaces have all be transformed to more appropriately meet the needs of the young athletes who will use the space.

Of the spaces redesigned, the "house of life for young athletes," or more simply, the lounge area, can be thought of as the project's main space. This zone is set between two brick walls, each anchoring one end of the space. Running perpendicular to both walls are two large stretches of glazing, providing generous natural light into the area.

A large white metal cage sits in the center of the lounge, dividing the space into sub-zones, each with its own function. Within the caged area are two tall tables with ...