Architects Philippe Barré and Agnès Lambot have created a building that exemplifies the use of wood in architecture for Atlanbois, a French agency whose mission is to promote the wood industry.

Located on Boulevard León-Bureau in Nantes, this curious building with its footprint in the form of a leaf, or a drop of water, engages in an unusual dialogue with the surrounding streets and the perspectives they offer.

Building B, as it is known, has three storeys, with a large and amply-glazed central atrium. It is also a bioclimatic building with low energy consumption. All insulation is in natural materials, and in place of the conventional mechanical ventilation is a natural system that’s designed into the shape of the building, whose various spaces look onto a large central atrium.

Building B has 1,500 m² of floor space, divided as follows:

540 m² of exhibition, archive and conference space on the ground floor.
320 m² of office space occupied by Atlanbois and UNIFA, the National Union of French Furniture Industries.
640 m² of office space occupied by ONF (National Forestry Office).

The ground-breaking design by architectural firm Barré-Lambot is based on the principles of collaborative construction. Companies from the wood sector in Pays de la Loire and students from elite local colleges specializing in wood, architecture and design all participated in this ambitious project.

Building B is a low-energy bioclimatic building made from locally-grown wood. Visually, it looks as light as the leaf or water droplet it resembles, with its central core radiating a wooden structure that’s visible from the exterior.

Source: Agnese Bifulco (Floornature.es), Iledenantes.com