atelier ramdam extends and renovates historic au bon coin in france

atelier ramdam extends and renovates historic au bon coin in france
photo © michéle constantini

french office atelier d’architecture ramdam has completed the renovation and extension of a historic building in the city of saint denis, to now house social living units. known as ‘au bon coin’, the existing brick structure was originally built in the early 1900s, and has been largely maintained through the transformation project. a narrow and wood-clad new construction rises above the existing host building, and stretches through the entirety of the block to face the street on its east and the canal on its west.

the wood extension building rises above its historic brick host
photo © michéle constantini

economic and ecological material usage was closely considered through the transformation of ‘au bon coin’. pieces from the existing structure were disassembled and reused, while all new construction utilizes timber members that contain reduced embodied energy.

the narrow building extends through the block to provide views toward the street and canal on opposite sides
photo © michéle constantini

photos © michéle constantini

new windows in the existing building offer views toward the canal
photo © michéle constantini

photo © michéle constantini

the apartments feature floor to ceiling windows, in which the upper half opens for passive ventilation
photo © michéle constantini

a view of the housing unit on the new-construction side
photo © michéle constantini

the renovated portion’s interiors feature windows on three faces
photo © michéle constantini

photo © michéle constantini

a ground floor entry with plywood exterior finishes
photo © michéle constantini

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