anne démians tops office buildings with an organic wood envelope

three volumes protected by an external timber lamella is architectures anne démians’ design of the new division of société générale in val de fontenay, in eastern paris. named ‘les dunes’, the project is composed of 90,000 square meters of office space accommodating 5,000 employees working in the real estate sector.

the office buildings house 5,000 employees
all images © jean-pierre porcher, laure vasconi et AAD

anne démians was given the three guidelines within the brief: to create a scheme that would integrate the real estate of the site with its architecture; to construct modern office spaces which follow sustainable systems and cater to the new generations of workers and lastly, a people centered work environment.

a distinctive feature of the construction is the technological approach to the building’s façades. the functional wood layers that comprise the facade gives more depth of field to the eye and was sourced from japan. it is 100% reconstituted from recycled wood, and is, itself, 100% recyclable. more than 200 km of wood were used to form the sheet-like organic wood envelope which covers the buildings with a single curved gesture to soften the angles and serve as sun protection.

this covered pathway leads to the communal areas – fitness, business centre, exhibition halls and restaurants

totaling at 90,000 sqm, the three buildings are oriented east/west and have south-facing herbariums and gardens. the office buildings takes the form of east/west-oriented bands positioned to take advantage of the natural light. ‘les dunes are designed as five aligned buildings that seem to rise from an earth accordion-pleated like a sheet of paper by the architect.’

timelaspe video of the construction of les dunes

the buildings is accessed through a ground-level forecourt located on the west facade close to the RER exit

the planned articulation of the buildings’ volumes provides sun protection, quality of light and views to all offices. internally, human dimension is given to the workspaces focusing on the light, quality of the view, and the integration of technology to preserve the fluidity of the spaces. the façade offers an initial aspect of woven wood with walkways and balconies.

until this project, the surrounding buildings used metal and glass in all its constructions

‘my role as an architect is to ensure that this important density is consistent with the quality of the site and with each workspace. this density is assumed as a positive constraint, likely by nature to propel us towards the future. les dunes project differentiates itself from others by its architectural identity, it offers a new image of modernity through a innovation in construction in a gentle rupture / breakaway from what’s previously been done over the past 30 years. the entity as a whole is more than a building, it is a landscape.’ – anne démians, head architect

the wood used on the envelope is 100% reconstituted from recycled wood, and is, itself, 100% recyclable