Rehabilitation of a Residential Building in Versailles by ADT

Atelier Delalande Tabourin made small but thoughtful interventions in its rehabilitation of a single-family home in Versailles. The particular aspect involved concerns the red colour of the R-concrete, obtained by processing rejects occurring in brick production. The result aligns the interventions to the brick elements on the facade of the two-storey existing building from the 1950s.

New entrance situation

One of the goals in the rehabilitation project was to improve the house's entrance situation. In achieving this, the architectural studio used steps, seating and terraces to articulate the front garden, whereby the comprehensive reorganisation work also brought about a spacious terrace directly adjacent to the living area on the ground floor. This measure is one of four architectural interventions with a lasting influence on the house's circulation pathways, natural lighting and inner organization.

Circulation and natural lighting

The other interventions concern the light wells and circulation pathways that perforate the existing ceilings, thus linking the storeys more closely together. Plus the light wells also mean that the residents can now use the basement as a recreational space, for example as a workshop. Thanks to the interventions' implementation in brick-red concrete, they directly reference the brick elements on the exterior and at the same time form a stimulating contrast with the minimalist interior of the house.

R-concrete incorporating crushed brick

On a visit to a brickworks, the architects had realised how many faulty and overly fired bricks come about in the production process. This led them together with the designer and scientist Anna Saint-Pierre to develop R-concrete incorporating the crushed remains of these waste products. The architectural studio describes the materiality of the interventions and their visual connection to the existing facade design as "a contemporary and responsible wink to what was already there".

Environmentally-conscious design

Thanks to respect for the history of the house and incorporation of local skills, the thoughtful rehabilitation project in Versailles has resulted in high quality living quarters. The design approach taken is contemporary in character without dominating the house's original appearance. In this way Atelier Delalande Tabourin shows that the interplay of existing elements and recycled construction materials provides opportunities for the creation of special architecture.