A growing island. A solitary unit that is coming into balance.

From an urban planning point of view, while the two buildings share a common challenge, namely the construction of a façade on the scale of the base road, they remain very different in their relationship to the Rolliet district to the rear. Building H completes a block, while Building J stands alone. The two buildings, misaligned in plan and height, seek an interesting dialogue through their architecture, which is different but not alien to its neighbour. Through their volumetric interplay, the two buildings reappropriate and reinterpret the urban planning intentions of the PLQ.

The health centre building closes off the block with its C shape. The inner corners of the courtyard are rounded to create a harmonious end to the courtyard and its garden. The overhang of the H1 building along the boulevard provides a large-scale public space on the scale of the health centre. In the centre, the large double-height hall opens onto the courtyard and garden.

The design of the load-bearing structures was developed in close collaboration with the civil engineer to ensure that the project's construction system met the requirements of the programme in a relevant and coherent way, while at the same time being highly rational in its structural role. For example, the grids of the two buildings have been developed so as to favour direct load transfer, particularly between the underground car park and the upper floors.

Materiality, form and lightness

The proposed structural concept combines two materials, reinforced concrete and wood, in order to exploit their full potential and achieve an efficient, lightweight and therefore environmentally-friendly structure. In addition to the materials used, thought was also given to the appropriate shape of the elements, to ensure that this would significantly reduce the quantity of materials used, and therefore its carbon footprint.