Home for adults with severe physical disabilities and brain damage
in Martigny (Valais - Switzerland) - 2nd Prize
Building the corner - A layout that articulates the outdoor spaces:
The Valais de Coeur hostel is the first project in the new "Prés-Magnin" district. The major challenge lies in its ability to give an identity to the district without freezing a development registered on the long term. Before designing the new volumes, it is therefore essential to define the voids:
- The Place du Quartier, to the east of the site, connects the new construction to the existing neighborhoods to the north. It is destined to become a place of life and meeting. Thus the ground floor of the foyer participates in its animation, with a cafeteria whose terrace extends generously over the square.
- The tree-lined Mail connects the new district to the center of Martigny. Beyond this function, its generous dimensions and its arborization make it a qualitative place. The recesses along the front of the foyer generate expansions that enrich the route and characterize the entrances.
- The Court, offers residents of the home a quiet outdoor space. Open to the square to the west, its privacy is ensured by the vegetation which creates a visual filter. It is a continuation of the foyer's dining room. This planted, productive and shared space ensures a collective dynamic within the home. They respond to a utilitarian, ornamental, but also educational function, constituting a leisure activity and contributing to the maintenance of biodiversity.
The plot of the project is bordered to the north by individual houses and small collectives. In the South, the construction of a block is planned, the height of the buildings of which should be around 18m. In this context, the project is divided into five volumes from 4 to 15 meters high, staggered and covered with four-sided roofs. In addition to giving the building a domestic character, particularly suited to the program, this formal work ensures a gradual transition between urban fabrics of different natures. Particular care is given to the treatment of the roof, in anticipation of the plunging views that the buildings to the south will have on them.
The above-ground part of the building is made up of a wooden frame structure. The facades are clad in compressed mud bricks, of the Terrabloc type. These stabilized bricks guarantee the durability of the envelope. They will be carried out thanks to the earth excavated from the project or from earth from local earthworks. Just like wood, these bricks have a durable character. This minerality will immediately anchor the first building in the district. Compressed earth bricks are also used indoors for dividing walls between rooms and towards circulations. The project thus puts their hygrometric, thermal, acoustic and aesthetic properties at the service of the comfort of the inhabitants.
Architect: A&F architects
Structural Engineer:Boss & Ass. Consulting Engineers
Pictures:Luce Workshop
A&F architects collaborators: Mehdi Aouabed,
Alberto Figuccio, Audrey Humbert, Tahir Memil