The team composed of KCAP and V2S has been announced the winner of the international competition for the design of Altiplano, a new complex for living and working in the new neighborhood of ZAC Aerospace in Toulouse, France. The proposal includes a high-rise featuring co-living apartments and a lower volume with offices and co-working spaces. Between the two volumes, a 25-meter wide arch visually connects the ensemble to former runway, the Piste des Géants, which will be transformed into a linear urban forest, as part of the master plan for the new neighborhood designed by David Mangin from Agence Seura.
The municipality of Toulouse, an important center for aviation, has marked the Montaudran industrial area to be transformed into a new urban neighborhood. The historical airport present in this area, which was used by aviators like Antoine de Saint-Exupery, will become the backbone of the new district. The Altiplano complex is located at the end of the 2 kilometer-long runway, a highly visible location in need of an appropriate design to visually close the ensemble.
KCAP’s response to the brief was to create a tower to serve as a marker of the location, flanked by lower volumes. The tower is not however centered on the axis of the runway. Instead, a 25-meter-wide arch marks the end of the Piste des Géants, connecting the tower to the lower office buildings. Beneath the arch, the monumental stair connects the runway to the adjacent, uphill neighborhood. Besides connecting areas and creating an inviting space for the residents, the planted staircase also helps animals bridge the barrier between rue Tarfaya and the urban forest. Additionally, the arch’s green roof, which is not accessible, acts as a lifted ecosystem to improve urban biodiversity.
The mixed-use program of the new 18.266 -square-meter development includes co-living apartments with support services, as well as office and co-working spaces. The small co-living units are designed to be accessible for young professionals, researchers and starters, while the small footprint is balanced with generous outside spaces, including a shared roof terrace overlooking the neighborhood. The façade design will be executed of lightweight wooden prefabricated elements, covered in metal cladding.
Seeing how the brief called for a monumental gesture, this presented us with another challenge. Our solution was to look for the human scale: in the dimensions of the arch, and also in the design of the ground floors - especially those of the lower volume. - Xavier Blaringhem, partner at KCAP
Recently, KCAP has also been announced the winner of the competition to redesign the Coastline of Yantai, Shandong Province in China. The Rotterdam, Zurich, Paris and Shanghai-based office has also unveiled the design for three circular residential towers on the former Brabantbad site in the Netherlands.
