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Commended: Sterling Boarder

Community of rooftop homes for older Parisians

The Sterling Boarder facade opens up onto the balcony.
The Sterling Boarder facade opens up onto the balcony.

Sterling Boarder by Nina Antin, Claire Chabrol and Sibylle Metge-Toppin

This project proposes a community of new rooftop homes for older Parisians who want to live independently in the heart of the city but whose needs can’t be met by their current accommodation. As an alternative to moving to the edges of the city, the Sterling Boarder concept creates housing on a rooftop extension to an existing low-rise building.

The development is set back from the facade and looks inwards with two rows of flats stretching back towards the rear of the site overlooking a courtyard. Each faces onto a generous balcony walkway, with bridges linking the two. This passageway is envisaged as a key space for boarders to interact with their neighbours, and will be populated by plant boxes, climbing plants and seating. At the far end of the site, the development incorporates a vegetable garden and community spaces.

  • Sterling Boarder combines new rooftop housing with communal facilities such as gym, workshop and reading rooms.
    Sterling Boarder combines new rooftop housing with communal facilities such as gym, workshop and reading rooms.
  • Perspective section showing apartment kitchen (left) and communal balcony.
    Perspective section showing apartment kitchen (left) and communal balcony.
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SterlingOSB Zero is used throughout as the main roof and wall structure, kitchen units, mobile walls and floor finishes, with the spatial dimensions driven by those of the sheet product. The simple plan can be adapted to suit residents with a movable, insulated partition OSB stud wall and bi-folding OSB doors to the kitchen. A fold-out bed is integrated into storage cupboards. The facade of each flat can be opened up to the communal balcony walkway. Solar panels power electricity and underfloor heating.

The simple construction process means the structure can be dismantled and reconfigured into another building should the need arise. The entrants think this modular living could be replicated elsewhere in Paris and in other cities as well, with scope for the new accommodation to provide facilities that could be used by residents of the rest of the building too.


Raise the Roof was produced in association with Norbord Europe 

 

Introduction
This year's judging process

Winner
Rooftop Refuge by Reed Watts Architects

Commended
Temple Heights/Music with a view by Soraya Somarathne, Studio Soraya
In Season – House by Alessandro Tessari

Longlisted
Anywhere in the Universe – the Nowhere Building by Brian Ditchburn
Peckham Parliament by Kennedy Woods
The Hide by Brett Mahon