Louis Pasteur Building Transformation Into Autonomy Research Center / Atelier Téqui Architects

Architects: Atelier Tequi Architects
Area: 1545 m²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Jean Baptiste Thiriet
Manufacturers: Artigo, Knauf, Ober, Piveteau bois, Villeroy & Boch
Lead Architects: Atelier Téqui Architects
Technical Design Offices: OTE ingénierie
Environmental Design Office: OTELIO
Scheduling Management Coordination: CH consulting
Signage: Orlic Cochet
City: Ivry-sur-Seine
Country: France

Louis Pasteur Building Transformation into Autonomy Research Center institutional project designed by Atelier Téqui Architects in Ivry-sur-Seine, France, has restructured an existing 1964 hospital facility into a research hub focused on autonomy in healthcare. The transformation adapts two upper levels of the Pasteur building, part of Charles-Foix Hospital, for Sorbonne University, while maintaining the building’s post-beam frame and select load-bearing walls. The intervention includes the complete removal of interior partitions, the enlargement of window openings, and facade insulation using French Douglas wood cladding treated for long-term durability. The ground floor now includes logistics offices, reception, and full-scale environments for autonomy testing, while the upper floor houses research labs, a fablab, and shared workspaces. Interior finishes use beech and sycamore to create a soft, familiar atmosphere, with wood-lined double-height spaces and integrated signage enhancing orientation and user comfort.

Louis pasteur building transformation into autonomy research center / atelier téqui architects

Charles-Foix Hospital is situated in the southern part of Ivry-sur-Seine, within the former “hospice for the incurable,” originally designed by Théodore Labrouste in 1873. The Public Assistance of Paris Hospitals (AP-HP), which owns the university hospital center, has allocated the two upper levels of the Pasteur building to Sorbonne University for the installation of the Autonomy Center. This facility serves as the first research and experimentation center dedicated to the autonomy of individuals within a hospital setting, bringing together users, researchers, and clinicians. Constructed in 1964, the Pasteur building spans three levels: a low, semi-buried garden level that houses the hospital pharmacy, a ground floor with main access from the street, and an upper level accessible via two external staircases. The building’s structure is composed of a post-beam frame with brick masonry infills. This construction method supports flexible interior reconfiguration and facilitates the adaptation of both interior spaces and facades.

The entire building was cleared and cleaned, with all interior partitions demolished. Only the structural posts and select load-bearing walls were retained. In addition, to enhance spatial clarity and user comfort, most openings were enlarged to provide ample natural light and unobstructed views. The interior partitions were fully redesigned to meet the programmatic requirements, and the facades were insulated and clad to improve the building’s thermal performance. The exterior insulation consists of glass wool, over which a false clerestory cladding made from French-sourced solid Douglas wood was applied. This thick cladding offers high durability over time, and its treatment with gray impregnation through autoclave provides lasting protection while achieving a natural weathered appearance similar to that developed after several years of outdoor exposure.

The ground floor includes reception areas, logistics support offices, and experimentation rooms designed to place individuals experiencing autonomy loss into realistic, full-scale scenarios. These settings allow for walking tests and the performance of daily life activities in a controlled environment. Users, including patients, doctors, and researchers, are immersed in reconstructed living spaces such as a home, a hospital bedroom, a connected staircase, a movement analysis platform, and a doctor’s office. The second level is dedicated to researchers and features a prototype manufacturing workshop (fablab), workrooms, conference rooms, offices, and a large shared social space. In addition, the research areas are designed with a high degree of flexibility through the use of numerous open-plan spaces, allowing for varied configurations and multiple functions.

The use of wood throughout the interior contributes to a warm and familiar atmosphere for both doctors and patients. The selected wood species, sycamore and beech, are characterized by their soft, slightly pink tones, which guide users through the various spaces. On the ground floor, the main access is emphasized through the design of a spacious double-height hall, clad in wood and clearly visible from the upper-level circulation landing. A reception desk is positioned at the entrance to assist visitors in navigating the facility’s different services, supported by clear and legible signage. On the upper floor, the layout features functional wooden walls that organize and finish the interiors, conceal technical systems, and integrate cupboards and storage units.