Réimerwee Ensemble 1

Dynamic volumes

Réimerwee Ensemble 1 has been realised by SNHBM, to architectural plans drawn up by the offices AZPML (UK) and Beckmann-N’Thepe et Associés (France) with Steinmetzdemeyer Architectes (Luxembourg).

The project signed off by AZPML and Beckmann-N’Thepe et Associés is dominated by the look of the “bands” of the continuous under-window panels in the façade, which run round each building and form the unifying element between the three buildings. Depending on the context and orientation, these “bands” take on a character that is more or less open and dynamic. Balconies of varying sizes project from this continuity, bringing a volumetric dimension to the façade.

Thanks to the construction system – a central structural wall in concrete, concrete 20 x 30 cm load-bearing columns in the façade, 25 cm concrete floors – the apartments are divided into two strips each 7 m wide, free of any structural elements, thus allowing for flexibility in the layouts. The majority of the housing therefore enjoys a dual aspect. The wet rooms are concentrated in 2-m strips towards the centre of the building. The kitchens are all placed in the façade, to benefit from natural light. The vertical accessways serve between four and five units per floor. The landings are lit naturally, thanks to the stairs being placed in the façade.

The design by Steinmetzdemeyer, urban architects, offers restrained buildings, with repeated elements in order to achieve construction savings, but offering a wide variety of accommodation. The structure is in reinforced concrete and traditional masonry; the interior partitions in the accommodation are not load-bearing, giving maximum flexibility and allowing for possible changes in layout.