Clever Or Crazy: Suburban Homes Perched On Roof Of Multifamily Building

Architizer News

Clever Or Crazy: Suburban Homes Perched On Roof Of Multifamily Building

November 21, 2012

Even in France, suburban neighborhoods often lack architectural pizzazz, but Edouard Francois is working to change that. The architect cast aside the cookie-cutter mentality to create Urban Collage, a complex in Champigny-sur-Marne, near Paris, that features homes stacked atop each other in haphazard ways. In terms of form and materials, the architecture is something of a jumbled mess—a commentary, perhaps, on how suburban developments are often “thrown together.” Read more.

The complex contains 116 residential units (townhouses, apartments, and single-family homes), along with stores and cafes. The ground level takes its cue from a typical French townhouse; the buildings are clad in tiles or panels made of zinc, copper, and terracotta.

In the center of this three-tiered architectural cake, a horizontal component features bands of windows and matte coloring that contrasts with the shiny cladding below.

Small bungalows are plunked on top of the building in a seemingly random sequence. The homes extend beyond the walls of the building, adding some suspense. These rooftop dwellings remind us of another bizarre project we wrote about this year: surbuban-style homes built atop a giant shopping mall in China. These strange homes certainly give new meaning to the idea of a penthouse!

What do you think? Post your comments below!