town hall extension by titan filters light through its perforated brickwork

a simple volume serving as the extension to the town hall in chaillé-sous-les-ormeaux, western france has been completed with an envelope crafted from locally produced bricks. designed by titan, the perforated pattern establishes a distinctive but subtle detail, which filters sunlight internally during the day and lights up during the evening.

all images © julien lanoo

the project by nantes-based architecture firm titan is defined by a simple composition of volumes that preserves its urban significance. scale, refinement of elements and the relationship to the context were the themes that dictated the final proposal. the extension itself is detached from the communal hall and opens to the west and redefines the public space.

the use of locally produced bricks defines the character of the new addition

the sand-colored envelope establishes itself as the core element of the building, allowing the natural material qualities to give character to the overall appearance. as well as providing passive insulation, the choice in material — concrete wrapped in a perforated brickwork screen — enabled the use of customized manufacturing and implementation.

the variations of color in brick was achieved by different temperature profiles in the firing

privacy and protection from direct sunlight is implemented through a mashrabiya — an effective method used against intense sunlight originating from the middle east. the brick façade transforms into terracotta paving and gently extends towards the ground, creating a harmonious contrast between old and new, and a visual connection with the town hall and the municipal school block.

the structure and appearance of building was informed with awareness and respect

the brick façade is punctuated to create an interplay between openness and privacy

the structure is entirely made of concrete and wrapped in a perforated brickwork screen

the design focuses on scale, refinement of elements and the connections to the setting

the extension is located in the town hall in chaillé-sous-les-ormeaux

Save

natasha kwok I designboom

jun 11, 2017

have something to add? share your thoughts in our comments section below.
all comments are reviewed for the purposes of moderation before publishing.

name (required)

e-mail (will not be published) (required)

text

comments policy

LOG IN

designboom's comment policy guidelines
generally speaking, if we publish something, it's because we're genuinely interested in the subject. we hope you'll share this interest and if you know even more about it, please share! our goal in the discussion threads is to have good conversation and we prefer constructive opinions. we and our readers have fun with entertaining ones. designboom welcomes alerts about typos, incorrect names, and the like.
the correction is at the discretion of the post editor and may not happen immediately.

what if you disagree with what we or another commenter has to say?
let's hear it! but please understand that offensive, inappropriate, or just plain annoying comments may be deleted or shortened.

- please do not make racist, sexist, anti-semitic, homophobic or otherwise offensive comments.
- please don't personally insult the writers or your fellow commenters.
- please avoid using offensive words, replacing a few letters with asterisks is not a valid workaround.
- please don't include your website or e-mail address in your comments for the purpose of self-promotion.
- please respect jury verdicts and do not discuss offensively on the competition results
(there is only one fist prize, and designboom usually asks renown professionals to help us to promote talent.
in addition to the awarded designs, we do feel that almost all deserve our attention, that is why we publish
the best 100-200 entries too.)

a link is allowed in comments as long as they add value in the form of information, images, humor, etc. (links to the front page of your personal blog or website are not okay). unwelcome links (to commercial products or services of others, offensive material etc. ) will be redacted. and, ... yes, spam gets banned. no, we do not post fake comments.