Leopold Views, to be inaugurated this autumn

Leopold Views aims at pertinently converting an office building into a residential ensemble. The principal quandary here therefore is the squaring of the well-being of the future diverse occupants of the tower with living in what was essentially dry and dull work space. To achieve this, each interior area benefits from a wood-decked terrace which acts as a fluid transition between inside and out, so providing residents with a qualified relationship with their environment not often experienced in a tower. Owing to the modular perforated sliding panels fitted to each terrace, the occupants gain the novel freedom to create their degree of privacy at any given moment. A great deal of attention has been paid to light filled common spaces which stimulate natural interactions for all, including ground floor shops, spaces for professional activities, a large bicycle zone, as well as common 13th floor rooftop terraces and lounge for get-togethers available to all residents. The quality of this common qualified space is essential to the sustainability of the project. Developed for client Matexi, its first occupants are due to move in by the end of the year. The hope at architectesassoc is to exemplify how we can successfully shift from obsolete to innovative, from isolated to connected, and equally from bland to bold within a standard budget. From this point of view, conversion of office space into residential is a privileged road to pursue in order to respond to sustainability goals and higher demands for housing. Indeed, office construction offers the advantage of higher floor-to-ceiling dimensions greatly increasing the quality of the lived experience and the ease with which techniques fit for housing are integrated. In addition, avoiding demolition/reconstruction and engaging in upcycling remain important factors of sustainability as well as part of environmentally sensitive responses considered globally.