LOCATION: 

Yaounde Cameroun, Africa

OWNER: 

Govt. of France, Ministry of Economy
Finance and Industries Trade Commissions Headquarters

ARCHITECTS: 

Stephane Paumier & BP Architectures

CONSULTANTS: 

Structure and all services: ABX/ B. Bauer

PROGRAMME: 

Offices and residence

AREA: 

500 sqm.

MATERIALS: 

RCC and Concrete blocks Structure, schist stone cladding, steel external windows, wooden doors, wooden parquet floorings.

CONTRACTOR:  SGC

SITE:
The site is a vast diplomatic compound located on a hill of Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroun. The chancery, design by French architect Michel Ecochard in the 1970's is located at the foot of the hill while the residence and other villas occupy the top.

The project is located at the lowest part of the campus on a triangular plot set against a dense jungle facing the South on the basilica of Yaoundé that crowns the neighboring hill.


Concept:
The concept was to design a building that could be seen as the base of the jungle, a kind of inhabited retaining wall. It is a very simple and massive RCC structure clad with a local stone that accommodate offices at the ground floor and a large apartment on top.

All the services are integrated in the technical bridges formed by the structural elements that frame views of the landscaped through large rectangular glass panels. The structure of the pavilion is supported by 2 symmetrical blocks that concentrate the services and wet rooms and free the main spaces from any false ceiling.

The office is a large open space platform at the garden level; some meeting rooms and closed offices are located at the back and can see through the open offices. The first floor C shape apartment gets an impressive view on the city skyline.