Equestrian center

Bois d'Arcy, France

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Equestrian center

Bois d'Arcy, France

Firm

B+C Architectes

Type

Hospitality + Sport › Sports Center

YEAR

2009

BUDGET

$1M - 5M

Winning competition project, the equestrian center situated some 15 miles south-west of Paris is the final piece of an ambitious urban masterplan by the public developer AFTRP, “the ZAC de la Croix Bonnet” which covers more than 300 acres of which 100 acres of housing. The project replaces the old riding school which has made way for a new public school serving the 1 100 new homes.

The site of the equestrian center is located between the new residential area to the south, the forest of Bois d’Arcy to the north, open fields to the west and ideally placed for long rides in the vast car free spaces that the forest and its numerous walks provide to the public.

The urban masterplan is structured along a strong north-south axis and the entrance to the facility is organised along an east-west “equestrian mall” perpendicular to it and is intended to be the “heart” of the project.

South of this mall we find the paddock, pastures and small parking. These wide landscaped spaces make a smooth transition by giving “breathing space” with the residential areas.

To the north, between mall and forest are organised the 3 built volumes of the centre, the accommodation, the central building with club house, covered arena and finally the stables. The northern façades facing the forest of the last two buildings are entirely covered with lawned embankments making them disappear to the view of the numerous walkers going by. The new trees here are also planted more densely in this area inviting the forest to penetrate and extend inside the site.

The project is an example of B+C architect’s aim to have a strong landscape-architectural interface, with buildings becoming not only an extension of nature but seem to immerge from it.

The materials used for the main buildings are a contemporary reinterpretation of farm buildings, laminated timber portal frames and timber cladding.

In the arena the timber cladding is open jointed to allow natural light and cross-ventilation. With the horses’ health a priority the timber cladding in the stable building is laid on a rain screen fixed on concrete block walls to give thermal and rain protection with cross ventilation maintained through continuous openings under the roof eaves.

The housing accommodation for the staff is conceived as two superimposed volumes with the cantilevered first floor covered with bright red steel cladding. Bold architectural signal, it marks the entrance to the site and also provides a large terrace with panoramic view towards the forest.