Don't be fooled. Size really does matter. Particularly when it comes to new urban housing developments, where the challenge of squaring housing density with quality of life and sustainability remains key.
Leading architectural practice MVRDV chose to approach this conundrum from a fresh angle – or series of angles, rather – when it delivered its Ilot Queyries project in Bordeaux. Here, a 308-home apartment building, organised around a courtyard, takes the form of a richly geometric volume, where facades and roofs merge and differing heights mitigate the scale of the site, but also ensure that every dwelling is privy to a certain number of sunlight hours a day.
For the exterior of the structure, MVRDV chose a ceramic material, specifically a product from premium German tile manufacturer Agrob Buchtal. 'The ceramic is a durable, quality material and easy to adapt to specific shapes,' explains project leader Charlotte Kientz. 'We followed a long process of studies, and adaptational tests and mock-ups with Agrob Buchtal. They really allowed us to have a very custom product.'
Watch the video to find out more about this remarkable project and MVRDV's partnership with Agrob Buchtal!
Find out more about Agrob Buchtal here.
