Master Planned Neighborhood Focuses on Materials to Avoid Blandness

Could something as simple of the material selected for a residential tower prove the "antidote to suburban blandness"? A Parisian suburb thinks so.

1 minute read

July 23, 2015, 2:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Peter Smisek writes about the efforts of architect Maison Edouard François to overcome "suburban blandness" in the Parisian suburb of Ros-Orangis. The municipality appointed François to design a new neighborhood, which recently opened its first tower block.

The "antidote to suburban blandness" selected by Maison Edouard François is simple: the material of the tower's façade. "The large volume, the size of which reflects the large-scale housing estate nearby, is covered in orange terracotta tiles, giving the building an unexpected texture, along with a bright orange colour. Inside, the building accommodates 60 dwellings, ranging from small, one-bedroom apartments to large maisonettes at the top," writes Smisek in describing the experiment.

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