| City, Country | Saclay, France | |
| Year | 2012–2016 | |
| Client | Établissement Public Paris Saclay | |
| Architect | Muoto architectes | |
| Services | Structural engineering Façade engineering |
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| Facts | Useful area: 3,400 m² | |
| Awards | Equerre d’argent 2016, 1st prize | |
Lieu de Vie is a 53 x 21m cafeteria and sports activities building on 4 levels including the roof. Its central vertical circulations and lift cages serve floors freed to the maximum of weight-bearing verticals. The building’s structural density decreases from the ground floor upwards.
Each activity defines its own floor space. They are interconnected by a double exterior staircase allowing views from one level to the other and functionally and visually interlinking the activities. The spatial organisation of the floors creates an open, flexible building open 24/7.
The exposed concrete post and beam structure has an orthogonal framework of approximately 8 m in both directions. To achieve a continuous, uniform vision of the structure, the dimensions of the rectangular beams and square posts are constant throughout the building, and limited to a width of 30 cm.
Sliding glazed façades can transform each floor into a quasi-exterior space. The building’s opaque façades are either exposed concrete or have metallic cladding and thick exterior insulation fixed to concrete or masonry walls.
