Wood construction

What a tree! That was one of the first thoughts during the site visit. No wonder this tree was and is protected. The whole plot was overgrown, and it was clear that as much of the greenery as possible should be preserved. Unfortunately, there were also some diseased trees that could not be saved, just like the existing, dilapidated bungalow. The plot was not easy to plan, not only because of the existing trees but also due to the building regulations. Within the tight framework conditions, a very compact semi-detached house for two families with three roofs was built, which not only makes optimum use of the eaves height regulations but also provides great spaces inside. The aerial view shows the existing trees and the limited space on &nbs... More

Smokehouse is a communal dining pavilion nestled within a shaded grove, conceived as an open-air shelter for meals, gatherings, and community meetings. Adjacent to an outdoor kitchen, the structure offers protection from the elements while remaining open and connected to its surroundings. Designed and built as a community project, the pavilion employs modest materials and simple construction methods. A straightforward A-frame wood structure, clad in cedar shake, rests on a concrete foundation that forms two continuous sunken benches flanking a long communal table. The open-ended form invites movement through the space, while framing views of the grove beyond. Pix Natural light filters through a series of cast glass elements running t... More

Established in 2015 by Parks Canada Agency (PCA), the Rouge National Urban Park (RNUP) is an ecologically protected zone that encompasses much of the Rouge River and Little Rouge Creek valleys. At 7,910 hectares, RNUP is the largest urban park in North America and Canada’s first “National Urban Park”. Straddling parts of Toronto, Markham, Durham, and Uxbridge, the RNUP forms a green corridor of forests, farmland, wetlands, ravines, and meadows that connect the Greenbelt to Lake Ontario. Moriyama Teshima Architects Moriyama Teshima Architects The RNUP Visitor, Learning, and Community Centre will serve as the park’s primary orientation, learning, and events facility where visitors can learn about Rouge&rsquo... More

The Dune du Pilat is both powerful and fragile, a source of fascination, hence the high standards imposed for its conservation and for receiving the public. The surrounding infrastructure carries the Grand Site de France label, so the restoration project had to embrace a sustainable development dynamic and welcome visitors in a quality environment. It was important that its rehabilitation lived up to its exceptional nature. Agnès Clotis The project would bring the site up to standard and included a diagnosis, with a view to proposing various design and planning scenarios. Rehabilitation objectives included: upgrade of existing huts; development of administrative, reception, educational and commercial functions; and improved flo... More

In the village of Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle in the heart of Pajottenland in Belgium lies a former castle domain where "De Verlosser", an elderly care centre is situated and a sistershood live. The park domain is a protected heritage site and includes, in addition to the manor house, carriage houses, a farm, a chaplain’s house, etc. To be able to continue to offer high-quality care for the elderly in the future, PLUSOFFICE has made a masterplan that strengthens the classified castle and park domain, and sets out the guidelines for the further expansion of a residential care centre with 150 beds. Dennis De Smet Dennis De Smet Dennis De Smet Dennis De Smet As part of this masterplan PLUSOFFICE renovated "Gaudium". This for... More

Originally, an indoor schoolyard is at the heart of all the high school functions. This schoolyard is a symbolic representation of school buildings throughout time.   The project unfolds around this central space which in itself creates a particular enclosed space integrating all the elements of the program, in a dual perspective between the single indoor courtyard and the outdoor town made of plurality and undefined spaces. The general volume, a simple hollowed out wooden monolith, takes advantage of the leveling of the plot to take off from the ground and open a yard on the street. The Jean Moulin High School has been the first HEQ-certified high school in Ile-de-France.   Our website More

Starting from an agricultural ruin no longer recoverable, we have proposed the reconstruction of its original nucleus as a function of a completely renewed second life; for Clients, the result obtained corresponds to the fulfillment of a lifelong dream: to be able to live in the countryside with a sea view More

The project is the first multi-story office building in North America to employ dowel laminated timber (DLT), a mass timber system relying on a friction-fit bond between softwood dimensional lumber and hardwood dowels. The 65,000-sf building anchors a high-visibility 265’ x 65’ site two blocks from the river. Retail spaces activate the street level with three floors of office space above.    Spruce glulam beams and columns frame the 40’-0” x 6’-8” DLT panels that serve as floor and roof decks. The system facilitates quick erection time and a smaller site crew, minimizing disturbance to the neighborhood during construction. A precast concrete service core buttresses the south of the building fu... More