In July 2023, PietriArchitectes delivered Le Totem, a new project consisting of 65 housing units and 4 shops in Romainville, France (93). Le Totem embodies the new face of the city's entrance from Les Lilas, and features a striking facade of light-colored pointed bricks that provide the building with a delicate, well-crafted look.

As a design that respects its environment, the project combines the architectural vocabulary and philosophy of PietriArchitectes. The building breathes new life into this rapidly changing district, while simultaneously asserting its uniqueness.

A new entrance to the city

The project is the new face of the entrance to Romainville, a stone's throw from the Mairie des Lilas metro stop. The architecture was designed to be a landmark in the city, and the name Totem reflects this approach.

Anchored in a dynamic geographical area on the outskirts of Paris, the town of Romainville is taking advantage of this strategic location to embark on a metamorphosis through the urban redevelopment of several districts. This Totem forms the link between the existing environment and the new Youri Gagarine district.

The building comprises a parking area and 4 shops on the ground floor (R-1), overlooking the town entrance square and the town center square. The building is composed of two emergences on the ground floor, one at R+8 and the other at R+5, accommodating 65 apartments.

The entire project is designed in strata, with alternating facades of light-tinted mineral materials to meet the requirements of sustainable development through the durability of the structure, as well as to reduce heat accumulation. Situated at the convergence of two new main axes, the three façades at the bow of the emergence are progressively refined by means of regular, cascading spreads. This urban politeness offers future residents and current residents a pleasant place to live.

Focus on pointed brick

The facades of the project are clad in light-colored pointed bricks. These bricks add relief to the facade thanks to the play of light and textures that evolve with the path of the sun. This material lends uniqueness to the building's modenature, and also makes it possible to design a sustainable building requiring little façade maintenance in the years to come.

The point bricks are made with local know-how, using light-colored clay from the Rairies Montrieux brickworks in Anjou. The PietriArchitectes agency has already used this type of brick in a previous project, Villa Lumea, also located in Romainville. Le Totem thus responds to the other project with the same material and chromatic range.

A project open to the outdoors

With its layered structure on a large plinth, the project accommodates several types of outdoor spaces. On the ground floor (R+1), the PietriArchitectes team worked with the Grue agency to create a naturally shaded space with a garden feel that softens the face-to-face relationship and allows for true "communal living", while guaranteeing individual privacy.

At ground level, vegetation is planted in large planters to create privacy screens.

Finally, on the large roofs, a very sunny location allows for the planting of melliferous meadows in order to integrate the project into the landscape logic around the figure of the inhabited orchard on the edge of the Coteau de Romainville wood.