Ameller & Dubois Associés

Building a nursing home a few hundred meters from the Palace of Versailles imposed on the architects draconian guidelines. Two buildings had to be set within a site that necessarily has tight stylistic constraints but still adhere to the regulatory norms regarding sanitation and other technical aspects of building. The positive side of things is that the demand for quality—particularly when it came to materials used—justified the spending that’s reflected in the use of stone for the facade, copper for the rooftops, and cobblestone for the surrounding pavement.

But the concessions to past history end there. For the rest, the building wields an air of strictly contemporary elegance. Concealed from the nearby Boulevard de la Reine, it reveals itself to the visitor as if placed on a glass base. Its ninety bedrooms have been grouped into the top three stories surrounding the common spaces, while the management is concentrated in the ground level and the technical equipment lies hidden underneath the roof. “The natural light became a fundamental element of the interior organization,” reveal architects Philippe Ameller and Jacques Dubois. And, without a doubt, it’s one of the comforting elements felt by both the staff and the residents as they work and live in this building."

CLIENT
Centre Hospitaiier de Versailles (CHV)

ARCHITECTS
Ameller, Dubois & Associés

ENGINEERING
Terrell-Technologies

BUILDING COSTS EXPERTS
MDETC

BUILDING CONTRACTOR
Bouygues

SURFACE
6,300 m2

COST
9.5 M€HT

DESIGN
2005

COMPLETION
2009