General hospital, Millau

In an exceptional location, a viewpoint overlooking the vast landscape, the new Hôpital Commun du Sud Aveyron hospital has been built with respect for the elements. The healthcare building has a bold geometry: a perfect square, its façades open to the four cardinal points, its architecture timeless. A low-rise building, it blends into the rolling landscape where the organic curves of the hills meet the straight lines drawn by man, with the viaduct providing the backdrop to this majestic setting. The logistics building, set back from the main building, blends into the topography to allow the main building to stand out, a landmark in the wider landscape and the region. From a functional point of view, this compact building offers optimised routes. The square shape of the healthcare building provides a cross-shaped layout and a centrality that allows the entire building to be connected in the most efficient way possible. The connection with the logistics building is also obvious, located at the perfect centre of the building, both horizontally and vertically. From a structural standpoint, the post-and-beam design frees up the non-load-bearing façades, allowing for possible extensions and scalability. The upper façades of the care building are made of prefabricated off-site timber frames with bio-based insulation. Inside, the large windows in the rooms and staff areas frame the surrounding landscape like a picture, letting in light and giving the spaces an exceptional atmosphere that is conducive to recovery and quality of life at work. The interior spaces feature naturally inspired materials and warm colours.

Team

Directors

Denis Bouvier, Blandine Rançon

Project leader

Vivien Pillot

Team

Guillaume Bénet, Eric Bonneville, Ludivine Servolle, Sandrine Pieck, Eliane Monon