Studio Gang's first project in France, the University of Chicago John W. Boyer Center in Paris, represents a pioneering integration of sustainable building practices, utilising mass timber construction processes. The building serves as a hub for international scholarship, cultural exchange, and community interaction.
The building is structured as a "vertical campus," with spaces for learning, research, and social activities arranged around a multilevel central atrium to encourage crossd department collaboration. The hybrid structure employs mass timber and a ‘Paris-stone’ (limestone) façade. The timber used through the structure was sourced and fabricated in France and Austria whilst the limestone was sourced from locally quarried Paris-stone to reflect the city's architectural heritage.
Mass timber construction reduces the structure’s embodied carbon footprint by reducing the reliance on carbon-heavy materials like concrete and additionally the locally sourced materials cut down the carbon-intensive transport emissions, adding to the building’s sustainability credentials. The structure’s design includes photovoltaic panels for solar energy generation, a rainwater reuse system, natural ventilation and outdoor green spaces populated with indigenous species to promote a holistic eco-friendly space.
Studio Gang's work exemplifies a commitment to sustainability and urban vitality, making the Center a model for future architecture in Paris and beyond.
