Tropical Shed

Laurent Troost Architectures

Short description

To create a manifesto of the necessary rapprochement between Urban and Nature, this archeology office with leisure space has been conceived as a sequence of porticos, made of smooth rebars, serving as guides for the growth of vines that define a double height space. The porticos shade the leisure area and the office, creating a tropical, airy and refreshing microclimate made out of “productive” landscape, since most of the species used are PANCs (non-conventional food plants): skyvine, inchplant, wild ginger, arrowleaf elephant ear, arrowroot, etc.

The leisure area is hidden behind a hollowed-out facade of massive bricks that let the prevailing winds pass and discreetly reveal the depth of the lot without revealing all its details. The leisure area consists of a table with integrated barbecue, an area with shower and hammocks, in addition to a small pool. This leisure area works both for the house on the neighboring and interconnected lot where the owners live, as well as a lounge area for the office located at the back of the lot. In practice, the leisure area table also became a meeting and/or work space adapted to the post-pandemic “new normal” because it is airy and outdoors.

At the back of the lot, the archeology office occupies the central span with work and meeting tables, while a solid brick wall winds between interior and exterior to define the gardens and technical spaces on the sides of the lot. This snaking solid brick wall is either hollow to ensure cross-ventilation, or closed to define closed spaces or prevent cross-views from openings in the neighboring walls. The double height of part of the office allows for more light and spaciousness. Openings to the gardens on both sides complement the issue of luminosity in addition to allowing cross ventilation of all office spaces.