Déchelette Architecture delivers an earth-and-wood apartment building in Boulogne-Billancourt

In 2021, Agence Déchelette Architecture won a competition launched by Seine Ouest Habitat et Patrimoine for the construction of a building at 17, rue des Quatre-Cheminées in Boulogne-Billancourt. The program consists of an R+4 building with eight social housing units and a retail outlet, in a wood structure that favors the use of materials with a low environmental impact.
The project stands out for its sober design. Déchelette Architecture made it a point of honor to build with as many virtuous, unprocessed and bio-sourced materials as possible, without compromising on occupant comfort. To meet these ambitions, the architects designed a building with a raw earth façade and stone base on the street side, and a wooden façade on the garden side.
The self-supporting facade was designed in prefabricated adobe on four levels set on an ashlar base: an unprecedented approach for a multi-family housing project in France. The monolithic facade was assembled in just a few days by stacking previously dried blocks.
The use of self-supporting rammed earth on four facade levels is a first for multi-family housing in France.