Housing for Young People

Perched above the Barbara metro station on the border of Montrouge and Bagneux, this Youth Workers’ Residence offers 39 apartments, from T1 to T2, alongside versatile shared spaces opening onto a first-floor garden within the building’s central courtyard. The mixed-use building frames the station and articulates Verdun and Ginoux avenues with the town center, creating a strong urban presence. Green roofs and climbing plants on the ground-floor brick façades enhance ecological continuity, while the warm brick and anodized aluminum façades give the building a distinctive material expression.

The building announces a new city gateway at a major mobility hub above the metro. It sits on a tightly constrained site, between a dense mix of neighboring buildings and the station’s infrastructure, which imposes both structural and vibration challenges. Raising five floors of apartments over a five-level deep metro shaft was a technical feat. An 80 cm concrete slab supports the residential loads, while a second 80 cm hollow-core slab accommodates building services, totaling 1.6 m of structural depth. A timber structure for the upper floors had been considered from the outset but was ultimately discarded due to vibration constraints related to the station and passing trains. Acoustic decoupling with elastomer supports ensures comfort for residents above the underground activity. The concrete structure functions as a bridge over the station entrance, marrying engineering ingenuity with everyday usability.

The building is shaped as an irregular hexagon, nestled against a party wall, with five façades that flood the interior with natural light. The regularity and geometry of the façades give the volume a cohesive presence, while the anodized aluminum exterior animates with reflections that shift with the sky throughout the day, adding subtle depth and movement. A carefully structured grid links the tall station ground floor to the upper residential levels. The façades respond directly to the Youth Workers’ Residence program, with the grid reflecting the layout of the studios. Each apartment features a large opening occupying the upper two-thirds of the interior façade, evoking a workshop-like atmosphere. The units offer generous living spaces for varied uses, complemented by compact cabins integrating kitchen, bathroom, and storage. Prefabrication ensures consistent quality and efficient construction timelines.