The Valley Residence is a modest wooden housing project situated in the northeast of Paris. Unlike the surrounding high-rise buildings, this neighborhood features streets lined with structures ranging from two to five stories. The design team aimed to recreate a village-like, human-scale environment that harmoniously integrates nature into the architecture.
The design strategy emphasizes creating a sense of spaciousness within a compact volume. By employing a stepped layout, the building opens up at the southeast corner, maximizing sunlight penetration to the building’s core. Most apartments feature face-to-face arrangements and offer access to outdoor spaces such as balconies, open corridors, terraces, or rooftops.
The apartments are accessed via outdoor corridors, which facilitate a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces. This openness fosters a serene atmosphere, allowing residents to feel more connected to the changing seasons and weather. Each apartment has direct access from the outside, while a backyard garden centered around natural elements is visible from the street, creating a gentle invitation and enriching the view.
The warmth of wood adds a distinctive softness to the residence. This material’s natural qualities provide exceptional comfort, unique acoustic properties, efficient dry heating, and a welcoming atmosphere. Wood types were carefully selected: the main street facade is clad in pre-aged chestnut wood, chosen for its hardness and ability to achieve precise folded connections, while the courtyard facade uses smoother Douglas fir, which will naturally age to a silver-white patina over time.
The main street facade interprets the undulating forms of mountains and valleys through a striking folded design. Each wooden panel interacts with sunlight along its path, breaking the linearity and injecting vitality into the street. This dynamic facade creates a unique vibrancy that distinguishes the building.
Project Drawings
△ General layout plan
△ Plan view
△ Plan view
△ Elevation drawing
△ Analysis chart
Project Information
Architect: Kengo Kuma Architecture Urban Design Firm
Project Year: 2023
Photographer: Sergio Grazia
Design Team: Kengo Kuma, Chizuko Kawarada, Charlotte Brussieux, Marika Maione*, Mathieu Faliu*, Maria Cervantes*, Michael Albric* (*former staff)
Principal: REI Habitat
Engineer: A Ï DA Acoustic, EQO Engineering
Acoustic Engineer: S2T fluids
Construction Units: Rubner, Rehago
Location: Paris, France
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