Architecture France
Ochre mines of Bruoux
Gargas, south of France
This environmentally conscious building has been constructed on the hillside, incorporating several features aimed at achieving a harmonious integration with the natural environment. A light ochre-colored concrete retaining wall serves as the base for exterior patios that provide indirect light to the interior of the building. The building features a vegetated roof, which not only enhances the aesthetic integration with the natural surroundings but also improves the thermal inertia of the building through the creation of a climatic amenity area. The ventilation system is simple and manual, with water-tight restrooms that do not require maintenance and utilize wastewater from the vegetated roof.
Wood, a natural material, serves as the filtering skin of the building.
The reception building is designed as a covered courtyard, housing the front desk, ticket booth, shop, restrooms, and cafeteria under a wooden mesh roof. The cafeteria also has a terrace offering panoramic views of the ochre cliffs and a bar equipped with a storeroom for preparing hot drinks after visiting the mines.
The wooden courtyard, with its transparent wooden and glass interior façades, opens up to the clearing at the end of the walking tour and the shade garden, which protects against the warming sunrise and south. The soffit of the building features nail-down flooring without a suspended ceiling and is visible from the road.
Client
City of Gargas
Type
Competition
Design team
DE-SO lead architect + C. Dalnoky / Gaujard technologies / BETREC / INGEFLUX
Size
22.000 m² GFA
