The project for the house on Avenue Edison was commissioned by Manuel Gautrand following the results of a large competition "Reinvent Paris": then the architects were asked to think about 23 particularly complex areas and objects of the French capital. Edison Lite is impressive with its design and now that it is implemented. He combined a number of innovative components at once, reflecting various changes in urban life and, as a result, in the practice of architecture and construction. They all add significant value to the home.
The building for 21 apartments with a budget of 3.4 million euros is located on the "residual area" (415 m2) next to the Maurice Ravel music school ("conservatory"). Thus, the architects had to think about the theme of infill development, its densification as the inevitable future of cities. At the same time, it remained important not only to remember the comfort of the residents, but also to treat the surrounding buildings and their inhabitants correctly.
The way out was mainly glazed facades, which provide apartments with light and views, while being covered with greenery, first of all - curly passion flowers: they serve as a filter from the heat of the sun and the views of neighbors. In addition, by the time of check-in, ozhiki seeds had been planted in 290 containers, and various bulbs were distributed to the residents. The care of the plants is entrusted to them, although an automatic watering system is also provided, which in any case will not allow the passion flowers to dry out. Architects believe that over time, with the help of a special guide, even inexperienced gardeners from among the residents of the house will acquire a taste for such activities and will begin to plant not only decorative, but also edible plants, both in containers under the windows and on a plot of 148 m2 on roof of the building. A green roof is important in and of itself, but in this case we are also talking about "permaculture", where the self-sufficiency of citizens with food reduces the carbon footprint - say, the path of a particular tomato or cucumber from the garden to the dinner table is reduced to zero.
The tenants' confidence in this responsibility is based on the fact that the 13 apartments that entered the market cost 30% less than the market value and were therefore distributed through a competition. The architects were able to select the best candidates from nearly 2,000 applicants. It took into account not only the openness to horticultural experiments, but also the compatibility with each other, and the final diversity of the "population" of the house. They tried to create harmony on each separate floor. With the same social purpose, landscaping in the house was created for the arrival of residents, so that they settled among the plants, perceiving them as an integral part of a new life.
In addition to these thirteen, the house has six rent-controlled apartments and two social rental apartments. The public ground floor was occupied by a nursery and a physiotherapy room.
Another feature of the project is the participation of residents in the planning of their apartments, albeit at the final stage. For this reason, it was possible to coordinate the needs of a particular family and the arrangement of their housing.
The third important component is the variety of common areas, including the most valuable parts of the building. So, on the top floor, in the penthouse, 78 m2 there is a solarium terrace and a shared kitchen with a barbecue. And on the roof is the already mentioned communal garden. In the basement there is a workshop next to the residents' storage rooms, and on the ground floor there is a “garage” for bicycles. The total area is 385 m2 out of a total of 2067 m2.
When choosing materials, architects took a pragmatic approach, using one or the other where it is best suited. The building frame is concrete, the staircase and elevator node is placed in the center, most of the other supports are located along the perimeter. The number of load-bearing supports in the main body of the building is kept to a minimum, which allows flexibility in the layout. Wood is widely used on curtain walls, accounting for 53% of the total volume of materials.
