Fab 40: Franklin Azzi, Paris
The small VW vacation house in Normandy is the latest residential work by Paris-based Franklin Azzi Architecture. The house is not only a successful transformation of an old hunter’s hut into a calming retreat blending with the area’s traditional architecture, but is also a very environmentally friendly design.
Harvesting rainwater to cover the owners’ daily needs, the house needs not be connected to the main water systems, while solar and geothermal energy were also incorporated in the design solution. Locally sourced – from a 100km radius distance – and recyclable material were also used throughout.
Set up just in 2006 by Franklin Azzi, the practice is also currently working on several bigger projects, such as the Lille 3000 scheme, transforming Lille’s Saint-Sauveur station area into a vibrant cultural and commercial hub for the city.
The Biscuit House by AU*M Architectes Urbanistes, Lyon
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Pastries by Camille Lesecq
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Lilas Animation Centre in Paris by Christian Biecher & Associes
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La Grand Place, Musée du Cristal Saint-Louis
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VW House by Franklin Azzi
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Ara dress by Heal Fashion
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Sleeveless Ara dress by Heal fashion
Ara dress detail by Heal fashion
Baby Horse dress by Ara fashion
Odysee dress by Ara fashion
Hotel Ville d'Hiver, Arachon
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Das Pop, from Le Mont St Michel
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Pap Femme, from Le Mont St Michel
Musée International de la Parfumerie, Grasse
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The debut collection by Moustache
Nomiya Restaurant, Palais Tokyo, Paris
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The Hemera by PGO Automobiles
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Borrowed Treasures by Philippe Rahm at the Musee d'Orsay
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Les Thermes Marins de Cannes
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Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
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