Cladding as a protective cocoon

ATRIA Architectes

Restore life to a dilapidated 70s’ building while anticipating climate change for at least the next thirty years… This was a sizeable challenge for the architects at ATRIA, Annick Worobel and Jean-Pierre Bosquet. The Groupama head office building in Auxerre was a sauna in summer and a proper cold room from the onset of winter, meaning staff had been unable to work in comfort there for years.

For Jean-Pierre Bosquet from Atria Architectes “The client was very receptive to the idea of using terracotta as they wanted a high quality, long-lasting product. The fact that clay is a natural substance was also a factor in their choice: the Agriculture Complex is the focal point for many eco‑friendly and organic projects that are being developed, such as click-and-collect systems for buying direct from the producers, etc. At preliminary meetings, we did more than just show the client the product. They were convinced by being able to touch and handle the cladding, observing for themselves that it’s solid, does not crumble and is a real block of raw material. The approach we took was a complete casing made from rainscreen cladding. We broke up the regularity of the lines with angleable horizontal sunscreen baguettes and coloured vertical shade screens. Arranged in an irregular pattern over the façades, they provide additional protection from light coming in from the side at a low-angle and they liven up the façade. ”

Energy renovation at Groupama headquarters, Auxerre, FR - ATRIA Architectes - Zéphir® Evolution (équivalent Piterak® Slim) & Autan® from TERREAL range