;
1/6

Social housing refurbishment in La Madeleine (France)

In La Madeleine, just north of Lille (France), you can find a social housing complex which is refurbished using both Rockpanel Woods cladding and ROCKWOOL insulation. This combination of stone wool products makes the building firesafe, energy efficient and futureproof. 

The appearance of wood with all the strengths of stone 

Square Pasteur is the name of the refurbishment project in La Madeleine. In this project, four buildings containing 150 social housing units got renovated. The aim of the project was to give the buildings a new, more contemporary and serene identity, providing a more inspiring environment to the residents. 

Used products:

Rockpanel Woods

Project architect Hélène Richet from Atlante Architects believed that wood-like facades would be perfect for an urban environment surrounded by greenery. However, by its nature, wood is not optimal in terms of fire safety, requires regular maintenance and has a limited lifetime.  

The discovery of the Rockpanel Woods was an inspiration for Hélène Richet. These facade boards are almost perfect copies of wood, but with all the durability advantages of stone. Being produced from natural basalt, Rockpanel Woods panels offer excellent fire resilience properties. The material is also extremely durable, weather resistant and sustainable. Characteristics amplified thanks to the combination of Rockpanel with ROCKWOOL insulation products. 

Meeting the highest fire safety standards 

Square Pasteur now meets the highest fire safety requirements available, while still providing the warm and pleasant appearance of natural wood. Rockpanel Woods cladding proved to be a perfect solution for the goal of the project. Residents also now live in a more comfortable and energy efficient environment. The aesthetic beauty of the buildings was achieved without any compromise in performance. 

The improvement of the environment has also led to a better quality of life for hundreds of residents, who now see the benefits of combining the strengths of stone with the natural warmth of wood. In short, the best of both materials has been achieved. 

1/5
"From an architectural point of view, the aim of the project was to offer tenants a new identity. It was necessary to provide a new spirit for the inhabitants, more contemporary and serene, as well as offering the additional comfort of insulation. For these reasons, the facades have been completely redesigned, as has the development of green spaces. Now the inhabitants have a residential site that guarantees greater comfort and optimized thermal performance."

Hélène Richet — Architecte chez Atlante Architectes

Case Study Rockpanel La Madeleine Rockpanel Woods

Project information

Project type: Renovation
Type of building: Residential - social housing
Location: La Madeleine, France
Architect: Atlante Architectes
Products used: Rockpanel Woods cladding and ROCKWOOL insulation

*Disclaimer: Due to changes in our assortment, it is possible that the designs shown in this case study are no longer available. Feel free to contact us in case of doubt.

For architects & contractors: Get your Rockpanel Woods box!

Are you an architect or contractor and are you curious how Rockpanel Woods would suit your project? Contact us to receive your free Rockpanel Woods box, including a brochure and samples of our new designs Black Oak and Caramel Oak.

Request your Woods Sample Box

Used products:

20181023 RW-RP PHO 00346

Rockpanel Woods

Wood has been used for millennia to create beautiful buildings, but those with a wooden façade need regular maintenance and have a limited life before the costly expense of removal and renewal. Then stone came along, but it lacked the natural warmth that only wood could achieve. That is until Rockpanel Woods was invented. Through an innovative process the boards are almost perfect replicas of wood, with all of the long lasting benefits inherent in a stone façade. Simply put, the best of both worlds.

We manufacture board material mostly used in ventilated constructions, for facade cladding, roof detailing, soffits and fascias.