Aquaterra Environmental Education Centre in Hénin-Beaumont

  • Aerial view of the oval Environmental Education Center in Hénin-Beaumont, a low timber pavilion set by water basins within the Parc des Îles landscape.
  • Oval Environmental Education Center in Hénin-Beaumont with timber brick base, black cladding and deep roof overhang, set in a reclaimed mining landscape.
  • Interior of the Environmental Education Center in Hénin-Beaumont, with timber ceiling, steel columns, planted beds and a central wooden walkway.
  • Interior of the Environmental Education Center in Hénin-Beaumont, with timber ceiling, steel structure, glazed façade and planted experimental greenhouse.
  • Oval timber and steel Environmental Education Center in Hénin-Beaumont, with dark cladding and glazed façade reflected in a pond, set against wooded slag heaps.
  • Distant view of the oval Environmental Education Center in Parc des Îles, Hénin-Beaumont, set among water basins, planted islands and former slag heaps.
  • Aerial view of Parc des Îles in Hénin-Beaumont, showing the Aquaterra Environmental Education Center within a reclaimed mining landscape of ponds and slag heaps.
    Géoportail
  • Structural grid diagram of the oval Aquaterra Environmental Education Center in Hénin-Beaumont, showing evenly spaced steel portal frame positions.
    Tectoniques
    Oval roof plan of the Aquaterra Environmental Education Center in Hénin-Beaumont, showing the continuous ring structure, radial grid and internal column layout.
    Tectoniques
    Oval floor plan of Aquaterra Environmental Education Center in Hénin-Beaumont, showing central service core, perimeter rooms and continuous glazed facade.
    Tectoniques
  • Detail of the Environmental Education Center in Hénin-Beaumont, showing staggered timber brick cladding against a blue membrane with vertical fixing lines.
    Tectoniques
    Detail of timber brick cladding at the Environmental Education Center in Hénin-Beaumont, showing dry-assembled blocks fixed by exposed steel rods.
    Tectoniques
    Detail of the Environmental Education Center in Hénin-Beaumont, showing staggered timber brick cladding with ventilated joints echoing industrial masonry.
    Tectoniques

Project description

Located in the Parc des Îles, the pavilion supports the conversion of a former 45-hectare mining and industrial site, marked by the former activities of the Drocourt coking factory. Integrated into the large-scale landscape project designed by Ilex, it adopts an oval form inspired by the sequence of islands and water features that structure the park. Compact and legible, it serves as an educational facility focused on environmental issues, incorporating exhibition areas and an experimental greenhouse. Built using dry construction methods with steel portal frames and a timber structure insulated with straw, it reminds the site’s industrial legacy with its timber brick cladding and black siding.

Project details

  • Address
    1573 boulevard des Freres Leterme, Hénin-Beaumont, Pas-de-Calais
  • Dates
    2010-2013
  • Programme
    exhibition spaces, inner garden, offices
  • Surface area
    1,035 m2
  • Budget
    4.1 M€
  • Regulatory framework
    RT 2005
  • Energy consumption
    32 kWh/m2/year
  • Labels
    BBC Effinergie, Minergie
  • Notable details
    Greenhouse with thermal function, photovoltaic pannels, façades in heat-treated Douglas fir bricks, dual-flow ventilation, wood-fired heat system
  • Selected media
    d'a – octobre 2014

Credits

  • Client
    Communauté d’agglomération Hénin-Carvin
  • Project management
    Tectoniques (architect, lead), Ilex (landscape architect), Tectoniques Ingénieurs (cost consultant), Arborescence (timber structure), Inddigo (MEP engineering, sustainability consultant), Manning (roads and utilities)
  • Photography
    Julien Lanoo

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