Meaux, France (2014)
client: Chamber for Trades and Crafts for the Seine et Marne county
design team: Emmanuelle Colboc (lead architect) and D PAYSAGE (landscape architect)
D PAYSAGE : Diala Haddad, Noémie Sabban
surface area: 50 000 m²
budget: 22 800 000 € HT

Meaux Institute of Trades & Crafts  --

The IMA project is at the heart of a site undergoing major change. It epitomises the transition from an agricultural landscape to an urban one, making it one of the major entrances to the town of Meaux. This trapezoid site is bordered by the ring road to the West and the RD 603 road to the North. Situated parallel to the ring road, the project is set back from it in order to reduce the noise pollution and opens up much more generously to the East onto the gardens. This project is the perfect example of ideal teamwork between architects and landscape architects. The two elements meld and fuse into one another. The building is raised to make way for interior gardens and is partially lowered into the ground to become one with the planted areas. The vegetation loacted in front of the building will become increasingly prominent, revealing vertical plant silhouettes in front of the horizontal lines of the building.