The creation of the new sports complex in the city of Clamart is part of a vast urban HQE project of the municipality: the reconstruction of the Trivaux-Garenne campus.
Designed by the agency Gaëtan Le Penhuel Architects, the sports complex is a building-landscape all in curves whose design implied high technical and aesthetic requirements. It is an ambitious and original use of the Kerto-Q® cross-ply lamibois which was chosen by the VS-A Structure and Envelope design office for this complex and large-scale framework, thus offering the possibility of making large curved box beams.
“Designed as a real sports city, this HQE building will house a gymnasium, a dojo and for each one the capacity to accommodate 150 and 200 people in stands. Its curvaceous architecture and omnipresent light gives it comfort and conviviality. The district will be enhanced by this sports complex intended to accommodate a large audience ”, explains Jean-Didier Berger, Mayor of the city of Clamart.
More and more daring architectural projects in lamibois
Flagship wood projects are often distinguished by their scale and complexity. Their success obviously depends on careful design in order to respond to the various project issues (including the choice of the best material) and technical, economic and environmental choices, mobilizing all stakeholders upstream and in execution.
Xavier Colin, Systems-Project Manager at Metsä Wood explain that “Large-scale projects, such as the Metropol Parasol carried out in Seville with Metsä Wood products, will undoubtedly have uninhibited and reassured the project managers by demonstrating that the choice of the Kerto-Q cross-ply structural panel, by its characteristics techniques, was an appropriate material, a guarantee of architectural freedom combining reliability and mechanical and economic performance. "
Indeed, Kerto is used here in an application where it is not necessarily expected, large curved beams generally being the prerogative of glued laminated beams. The fact of using a Kerto-Q cross-ply panel in box beams once again reminds us of how much it allows great architectural freedom by allowing large spans to be created, while working on the optimization of the wooden structure.
"In order to best materialize the idea of a building-landscape, we quickly chose, on a recommendation from the VS-A design office, to make the wooden frame", emphasizes Gaétan Morales, project manager for the Gaëtan Le Penhuel Architects agency. “Indeed, we were particularly keen to see a grid in flexible curves, generating a wide and undulating movement. "
Gontran Dufour, co-managing associate director of the VS-A design office, explains this recommendation as follows: “The Kerto wood frame became the natural solution for this project for several reasons: its economic advantages, its architectural aspect which perfectly respected the wishes of the architect, and its structural efficiency. "
A vast undulating structure: a challenge for the double curvature frame
The sports complex is a building-landscape conferring a public status and a rewarding presence for the district.
“In accordance with the expectations of the city, our architectural and urban approach was based on a desire to reweave the links between two contrasting fabrics. This project is an opportunity to open up the district by offering everyone easy transversal access, which explains in particular the layout of a pedestrian alley along the Sports Complex ” mentions Gaétan Morales, project manager for the Gaëtan Le Penhuel Architects agency.
Designed as a real sports city with three main spaces (tennis, gymnasium and dojo), the sports complex is enveloped by an undulating roof in anodized aluminum color, in standing seam aluminum profile in second skin, covering the wooden frame. This envelope goes down to the ground on the North and South facades, thus protecting the urban environment from any noise pollution.
The dimensions of the complex can be assimilated to a rectangle of 130m by 40m, with a maximum building height of 10,35m, above the space of the gymnasium on the east facade.
Due to its complex geometry, the frame and the roof present interesting technical challenges, in particular due to a double curvature in some areas with an ovoid belt in Kerto glued curve that overlooks the open stadium. The framework develops from north to south, descending to ground level at both ends where the roof becomes facade. The curvature in the transverse direction varies slowly, while the curvature in the longitudinal direction varies faster. The orientation of the water table is the same as that of the project: a north-south longitudinal grid and an east-west transverse grid. On the east facade, the tablecloth is supported by inverted arches thus creating an interior street.
Assuming that all beams have different elevations: the constructive principle has been able to adapt perfectly to this geometric constraint.
A standing seam aluminum roofing system was chosen as roofing material (hot roof on purlin with supporting steel deck).
“One of the key points of this project was really a 3D work on the geometric design to optimize the structural efficiency of the frame. In relation to the nature of the building, namely a sports space, the position of the carriers was imposed as well as the corresponding structural spans. Likewise, the flow of rainwater on the roof also shaped the structure to preserve the low points on the edge of the building ”, details Gontran Dufour, co-managing associate director of the VS-A design office.
A technologically complex project involving significant 3D design
Gontran Dufour, co-managing associate director of the VS-A design office explains « We discussed a lot about structural efficiency and analyzed with our modeling and calculation tools to find the most suitable solution. In particular, we carried out a very important layout work and the entire design was carried out in 3D, which was necessary given the complex geometry of the building. "
The contractor for the Charpente-Couverture Poulingue lot had to carry out the execution studies in accordance with the wishes of the Project Management. Cédric Roux, Head of the Poulingue Design Office supervised this essential phase while entrusting this study to Charpente Concept.
Therefore, Antoine Roux, from Charpente Concept notice that : “To carry out the studies and plans for the project, we had to renew our IT equipment with new, more powerful computers and a“ test ”version of our Cadwork drawing software since no current design technique could be applied. "
“This site is really out of the ordinary, not only because of its size but also its shape. Due to its curvature in both directions, its dimensions and a huge opening in the roof for the Evolution Area, very few parts could be identical. Almost all the structural elements of this site are unique, ” He adds
“Thus, we were able to dimension and draw the entire building in 3D. Among 3000 hours of work, it is thousands of hours of drawing which were necessary to the realization of 4000 manufacturing plans. The uses are now reproducible at different scales, ” He added.
Cédric Roux, Head of the Poulingue Design Office specifies that “This 3d modeling of the project will have subsequently made it possible to export all the elements to be put into production on the numerical controls. "