Hexagone

Positioned between design and architecture, Hexagone provides custom-made, economical and luxurious accommodation tools, as well as unique pieces designed and made to measure with raw, simple, beautiful and functional materials. Inspired by children’s tree houses, this hexagonal project – which is half tree house, half house – aims to be comfortable, enjoyable and cosy. The guiding themes of this project were the movement from one space to the next and light. Research around geometric forms, their repetition and movement, resulted in the hexagonal form – which is recognisable but can disappear into an urban background.

The project is made up of three units. The first unit, called “connexion”, is 4.5m2 and groups together the bathroom and kitchen. The second unit, called “dry”, which is also 4.5m2, houses the first bedroom. This unit doubles up to make 9m2, which can then be divided to suit each family’s needs. The living space is on several levels, in order to separate different spaces and also to recreate the feeling of a tree house.

The interior fittings are primarily in wood to create a cosy atmosphere linked to nature. Indeed, wood is showcased and highlighted, with the units being made from a wood framework – a process that allows them to be built in factories, or to be transported as flat walls directly to the site of construction. The ecological angle in this project is can be seen right down to the usage of linen-fibre isolation and the external cladding in Douglas fir from French forests.

Jointly organised every two years by the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine and the VIA, the Mini Maousse competition was this year on the theme of “A house for better days”. Students from French design schools in architecture, design, art, landscaping and engineering at a bachelor’s level, or those who have graduated no more than a year ago, were invited to design a temporary living unit that is both ecologically and economically friendly.