Avenier Cornejo Architectes - 10 LOGEMENTS
Miguel Cornejo - France

Biography

Avenier Cornejo architectes is based in Paris. Miguel Cornejo, a chilean-french architect, was born in Santiago of Chile in 1974 and completed his studies at the Architectural School of Paris Malaquais.  He alternated missions for Mathias Klotz in Chile and collaborated wih french agencies such as Roche & Sie (François Roche), XTU or Galiano Simon.  In 2003 he created the agency AVENIER CORNEJO ARCHITECTS in association with Christelle Avenier.

After winning the Electra Prize (Electricite de France) the agency reached public projects like social housing and equipements:   10 social housing for the RIVP in Paris, a kindergarden in the 20th neighbourhood of the city and a Day-care and young workers hostel at Porte de Lilas in the north of Paris.  The agency built also a wooden family house in Orsay (Maison 2G).  In 2013 Avenier Cornejo was selected   by WALLPAPER Magazine   in their Architects Directory.  At the moment the agency has several housing projects in progress such as  145 housing projects in Paris Batignolles, 38 housing projects in Clichy la Garenne and 14 social housing in St Maur street in Paris.

This typical street in the seventeenth arrondissement of Paris was the former site of a music and dance school which was bought by the city of Paris for the construction of 10 social housing units and a business space. Following a call for tender, the Avenier Cornejo architecture firm was selected.

Contrasting sharply with the original streetscape, this unusual building imposes its pre sence and sets off the preexisting adjacent buildings. The street façade is a series of ver tical, perforated metal panels. A pattern stretches across the multiple panels like a net to give the building a uniform feel. The cladding covers both solid and glazed sections. Over the windows, the metal panels act as full-height shutters that rotate outwards and animate the building facade.

This system is perfectly adapted to the exterior insulation, and reduces thermal bridges to respect low-energy housing standards. The building’s compact volumes also limit energy loss, while the shutters enable flexible management of sun and light as the facade faces south-east. The fixed cladding and folding panels soften the building’s stark aspect and allow the facade to evolve throughout the day.

Vertical accesses are located in the center of the building, freeing up the street-facing rooms for daytime living. 

The calm garden façade is light-colored in order to reflect natural lighting and has fewer glazed sections to prevent energy loss. This peaceful, harmonious exposition is ideal for the bedrooms. All apartments have double expositions.

The rear courtyard side of the building has a diaphanous quality which is partially created by the frosted small windows that punctuate the facade.

Behind the business and lobby area there is a small, surprisingly lush garden with ground cover plants and a red blood maple tree. This space infuses the entrance hall with a gentle softness that contrasts with the minerality of the neighborhood.