jean-philippe pargade designs undulating green roofs for university campus near paris

in marne-la-vallée, a new town 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside of paris, a research and civil engineering campus has opened, designed by french architect jean-philippe pargade. the 40,000 square meter (430,556 sqf) scheme includes laboratories, offices, and lecture rooms, alongside various sports facilities and an on-site restaurant.

the design is defined by an undulating concrete roof canopy
image © luc boegly | main image © sergio grazia

located at ENPC : ecole nationale des ponts et chaussées ParisTech engineering school campus in marne la vallée, france, jean-philippe pargade’s design is defined by the so-called ‘landscape wave’ — an undulating concrete roof canopy topped with a vast area of plantation. the vaulted structure uses techniques often found in bridge building, and fittingly houses a vast concrete testing lab. the accessible green roof not only provides the campus with external areas for recreation, but also reinforces the surrounding structures, uniting the entirety of the scheme.

the vaulted structure uses techniques often found in bridge building
image © sergio grazia

internally, a large multipurpose area at ground floor level brings together the shared functions of the site — contained within glazed units that overlook the centrally positioned park. from an environmental perspective, the project uses an overall bio-climatic system to conserve energy. the buildings are oriented to maximize solar gain, while natural ventilation methods and rainwater harvesting techniques are also employed.

the accessible green roof provides the campus with external areas of recreation
image © sergio grazia

internal space is brightly illuminated throughout
image © sergio grazia

a large multipurpose area at ground floor level brings together the shared functions of the site
image © sergio grazia

areas of internal greenery have been introduced
image © luc boegly

timber-clad pods allow for more private work
image © luc boegly

the 40,000 square meter scheme includes laboratories, offices and lecture rooms
image © sergio grazia

one of the site’s numerous entrances
image © sergio grazia

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project info:

project management: jean-philippe pargade: commissioned architect; besson-girard, landscape designer; SNC lavalin: engineering firm, all trades; voxoa: quantity surveyor; penicaud green building (HQE)
project management team: caroline rigaldiès, partner; jean-pierre lamache, construction site director; birgit eistert, studies leader
christophe aubergeon, malika benzemra, marco carvalho, joana césar, paolo correia, jean-patrick degrave, emmanuèle fiquet, emilie guyot, antoine hermanowicz, joon-ho lee, aline marthon, natacha nass, lucy niney, audrey oster, maxime parin, anne-sophie richard, samuel rimbault, vincent sengel, ji yeon song, marie suvéran, arthur tanner, van hai vu

location: ENPC : ecole nationale des ponts et chaussées ParisTech engineering school campus in marne la vallée, france
client: ministry of ecology, sustainable development and energy – property and housing action delegation
works budget excluding VAT: €95 million (2014 value)
floor surface: 35,300 sqm
usable floor area: 24,300 sqm
winning project: 2008
delivery: 2014
program: research units, test laboratories, offices, lecture rooms, library, conference center, sports facilities, restaurant