In November 2024, Maud Caubet Architectes completed the Racine project in Paris's 12th arrondissement for Alderan (SCI EWOK), the project owner. The project involved the renovation of the former headquarters of the Office National des Forêts (ONF), a 35-meter-high tower (115 feet) built in 1970 into new offices for the Local Business Skills Operator (OPCO EP). The extensions and the new crown represent a spectacular transformation. Project cost was €24 million, or about $25.2 million.
The Racine project is situated in a predominantly residential area, and the tower stands as a testament to an era when urban development relied heavily on slab construction, with largely artificialized ground levels. The reclamation of fertile soil thus became a foundational constraint for the project. In this context, the initially envisioned graduated garden has been reinterpreted as terraced landings. A 175-square meter productive green roof allows for the renaturation of the entire site, despite the densification brought about by the project.
Two parking levels, out of five underground levels, were restored to living spaces with natural light. A large, curved patio, 12 meters deep, redefines the new spaces opening onto the terraced garden. Finally, the project repurposed the volume of the parking ramp to create an unusual space with direct access to the new patio.
The planned adaptability of the structure to easily change its purpose (offices, housing, activities, etc.) was anticipated through a design that minimizes, in advance, the scale and cost of future modifications. The restructured tower is inherently flexible, allowing for future transformations: the building's repetitive grid of slab posts and the strategic placement of vertical circulation elements ensure complete reversibility of uses.
In fact, all or part of the tower can accommodate hotel services, student housing, or coliving spaces, in addition to the service and sports facilities on site. Double-height extensions and a bioclimatic greenhouse enhance the range of uses. This way, the tower can be fully 'lived in,' offering the possibility to live, work, study, have fun, grow a garden, love, and age—all at the same time.
The former attic on the 10th floor has been replaced with a timber frame, creating space for a greenhouse integrated into the building's structure. Reaching skyward, this glass crown houses an educational urban agriculture unit and a café, both accessible to all building users. This new tree-lined, transparent, and luminous space offers residents a unique view of Paris and transforms into a distinctive lantern for the local community at night.
Photo credit: MAUD CAUBET ARCHITECTES