olivier dauce book

OLIVIER DAUCE

« The aim is the way » Lao Tzu

MVRDVCity of Pau20.000 m2

Central market, civic offices, retails17.8 millions eurosCompetition

Tender acquisition Team set up (local co-architect, engineers) Fee and work division negociationMeeting set up Root Cause Analysis

ArchitectClientSizeProgramBudgetStage Personnal contribution

The main market hall in Pau - an old 70’s building - begins its renovation. Using a key location in the city center with an excellent retail dynamic at a natural pedestrian crossroads, the site enjoys various and fresh products every day. Yet, the entire complex is outdated, space organization inefficient and connections to surroundings unattractive.

To answer all these issues in a coherent concept, MVRDV proposes to create a large sheet able to cover the entire building (main hall and tower) to give a new and modern identity to this symbolic place.

Canopy The current market is rehabilitated with a structural mesh covering the entire complex

Variations To bring lights and shadows where necessary, the structure moves like a flying carpetMain hall All regional shops and products are gathered under the same roof

CENTRAL MARKET HALL, Pau, France (2015)Central market and civic office rehabilitation in an historic district

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, Paris, France (2010-2015)French Army Corps, Navy and AirForce Headquarters

ANMAFrench government, Ministry of Defense165.000 m2

Offices, restaurants, special infrastructures450 millions eurosUnder construction

Detailed DesignInterior DesignMaterial suppliers contacts, quality checkMeetings with the construction team Work onsite


The project brings together the main part of the French command forces on one site. Those three functions are represented by three summits in this building of 165.000m². Like crow’s nests, these «hills» culminate in a hexagonal structure symbolizing the French territory shape at its center.

Office facades alternate between transparency and opacity via horizontal glass slats of various tones, providing both intimity and transparency for this furtive structure. Building wings are designed on stilts and surround internal courtyards under a vast origami-like roof made of angular sections. The concept, inspired by a furtive place design, aims to present a portrait of the armed forces as a protective, strong and stately power. Construction The largest construction site in Paris since five years. In 2015, 9.000 employees will join the completed building

Entrance Designed with a roof folding for a monumental effect Command Center Protected inside the eye of the stormConcept Inspired by the legendary furtive plane F-117 Nighthawk

ANMAShanghai University200 haUniversities, urban design, landscape design/Competition

Conceptual Design 3D modelsStudy modelsSchematic plans, sections, elevationsMass plan


This student campus is another proof of the urban planning vision defined by China since ten years. In one shot: a campus of five universities with 200.000 m², hosting 10.000 students. The issue here was to merge this large scale program to a good life quality for student as well as design a project able to respect the local context.

Our project uses the current context to bring a new life quality for student’s life. Five « green fingers » start from the canal to «feed» the new city through universities and education. This strategy brings a new link between the existing natural and historical context and the extension of the city life coming from the Shanghai’s urban sprawling.

Campus The five universities keep a strong individual identity

Day life During the day, thousands of student bring life into the campus through the five universities

Night life Everything is included to avoid dead times : restaurants, housings, bars, retails, nightclub, etc.

Mass plan Each university is connected to the main canal through generous gardens

ZIZHU EDUCATION CAMPUS, Shanghai, China (2012)Masterplanning of a student campus gathering five universities

ANMACity of Toulouse12 ha500 housings, primary school, retails/Competition

3D modelsConcept diagramsStudy modelsSchematic plans, sections, elevationsMass plan


This project emerges from the ancient context of this medieval city center located in the south of France. Using two close rivers, as well as many lakes, the new urban planning creates a natural link through an ecological park based on an entire new ecosystem.

Add to 500 low consumption housings with various typologies, the project proposes to set up new shops as well as a primary school in the heart of the district, in order to bring back the lost urban life. Indeed, centuries ago, the old medieval center was particularly dense and was able to host the entire city population. A good alternative to the urban sprawling.

Ecosystem The masterplan links the city center and the low consumption housings to a natural ecosystem by a series of lakes and riversides

Sustainability Each new housing is based on the French low consumption standards, under 50 Kwh/year/m2. They include natural ventilation, passive energy design, collective heating, global recycling system and solar panels

Density In a town where everyone gets an individual pavilion, these collective hous-ings are a good step toward a better local sustainability

LAS FONSES ECODISTRICT, Toulouse, France (2012)Sustainable masterplanning of 500 housings, primary school and retails

DALY&MORIN PHASE II, Montréal, Canada (2010-2013)Rehabilitation of an old factory into condominiums

Morand Emond ArchitectsMartin Roy6.500 m2

87 logements 7,2 millions eurosComplete

Site surveyDesign studiesFacade drawingsDetailed drawings 3D models + Renders

ArchitectClientSizeProgramBudgetStatus Personnal contribution

Transformation Factory spaces are transformed in various typologies, from studios to penthouses

Facades On the southern facade, windows are stretched to increase housing pas-sive heating

Interiors Innovative typologies were invented, fitting the factory current structure and keeping an excellent design quality

Phases The project is scheduled in three phases, keeping the factory facade and adding three levels of housings

Located in the city of Lachine, Northern Montreal, the old manufacture Daly & Morin is a perfect example of a great architectural potential.Rather than demolish the factory, the project contributes to preserve the heritage of the last century, emblem of an industry now relocated into other Canadian provinces or foreign countries.

Existing facades are rehabilitated and three levels of housings are added to complete the project and increase the number of available condominiums. Typologies vary from studios to luxury penthouses.

EAUBONNE, Paris, France (2010-2013)Social housing extension in a low density district

LEM+City of Eaubonne3.100 m2

38 social housings 4.750.000 eurosComplete

3D models + RendersDesign studiesSchematic plans, sections, elevationsMass plan


Positioned at the interface between suburban housing to the west and a large housing block to the east, the scheme integrates two buildings that successfully create a true urban setting. It breaks down the wall-like effect of the linear blocks with their blank gable ends and creates a transition between them and the nearby suburban housing. It proposes opening the public space towards the existing park by operating a transition of scale through the well thought-out siting of a first building built up against one of the existing blocks. The result is a low key, well-structured architecture that respects the residents having lived on this site for over ten years. The project’s architectural identity is reflected in the strong commitment to integrate the two new buildings into the existing site and create a new, unified urban setting.

Individuality The architectural design keeps the housing individuality in a collective building

Quality Housings offer residents generous views over the surrounding environmentRhythms A strong willingness was to break the building linearity

Intermediate scale The two block project design a human scale building to avoid mistakes from the 70’s characterising the current district

PARIS CBD MASTERPLAN, Paris, France (2012)Masterplanning of the largest French CBD

O. Dauce / R. Bussi / B. Martin / M. BouvelleEPADESA31 haMaster planning/Concept Design

Site analysisUrban concept definition + DiagramsMass planFinal modelsPresentation


The Paris CBD La Défense is an area disconnected from the rest of the urban fabric. In the 60’s, it was designed based on a multi-layered slab, creating a pedestrian urban design of 31ha released from cars 15m above the ground. Today, the idea of a pedestrian world doesn’t fit anymore to actual urban issues. It increases the urban segmentation due to a cliff without connections to the surroundings. In the meanwhile, dead spaces and social issues appeared under the slab, especially in unused car parks. The main idea of our project is simple: reconnect the CBD to the city by creating breakthroughs into this multi-layered slab and reach again the ground level. In the meanwhile, this operation creates new streets and releases constructible grounds to decrease the real estate pressure in the district.

Fragmentation Bringing back the old street network, our project reconnects the district to the surroundings

Real Estate This approach allows the CBD to develop new programs and decreases the real estate pressure

Dead spaces Under the slab, thousands of square meters are lost in unused car parks and structural voids

Isolation The CBD is a 31 ha pedestrian layer displayed at 15 m above the ground, disconnecting the area from the city

LORAINE’S DISTRICT REHABILITATION, Paris, France (2012)Urban design from a multi layered public space to a true sense of place

O. Dauce / R. Bussi / B. Martin / M. BouvelleEPADESA16.500 m2

Urban Design/Schematic Design

Concept definition + DiagramsSchematic plans, sections, elevations3D models + Renders Technical drawingsPresentation


Once the masterplan defined, our team focused on a local prototyping in the Loraine’s District. We gathered materials from the city and private companies to setup a global existing 3D model on several levels, including structural elements. This approach allows us to know precisely a small part of the business district and apply to it our concept. It was the opportunity for us to confront our conceptual design to the CBD’s exact situation.

In order to reconnect with the ground level, our prototype relinks the inner ring to the district and transforms a current tunnel in a city road. In the meanwhile, breakthroughs in the slab create a pedestrian path network to link high rise and mid-size buildings directly to the ground level.

Ground level Buildings are reconnected to the ground level New streets The tunnel becomes a street and car parks become retails and housingsSense of place A new qualitative urbanism appears from these transformations

Street network A current tunnel is reconverted in a street, and breakthroughs in the slab creates new pedestrian streets connecting all buildings to the ground level

MIXCITY, Paris, France (2012)Regeneration of the Loraine’s disctrict with a mixed use approach

Transformations Streets cut the slab and give light to underground car parks Street life Toward a new life quality in the CBDHuman scale Our new level of buildings brings back a human scale in the district

Urban mix Low and mid-size buildings connects high rise tower into city blocks separated by streets and pedestrian paths

O. Dauce / R. Bussi / B. Martin / M. BouvelleEPADESA75.000 m2

Offices, housings, retails, hotels/Schematic Design

Program definition Technical drawingsDetailed plans, sections, elevationsFinal models Presentation


With these new streets traced into the slab, facades appear in unused underground car parks. These dead spaces can be then rehabilitated into new programs, as they now have the same direct sunlight as standard buildings. It offers an extraordinary chance to redesign the district with mixed use programs in order to balance the large amount of offices. We propose to include various typologies of housings, but also retails and restaurants, a commercial center and a primary school.

Even if the Loraine’s district is just a small part of the entire CBD, this prototype proves the success of our design concept which may be seen as a good basis for further researches on a larger scale.

LANDMARK, Paris, France (2011)Urban planning and tower transformation

O. DauceI3F Real Estate8.100 m2

Urban planning, housings/Schematic Design

Site analysisConcept definition + DiagramsTechnical drawingsFinal modelsPresentation


This project is the result of a dynamic partnership built between architects and property developers to redevelop an entire district mainly developed through social housings without any social mixity. Following a master planning previously defined, each architect was invited to work on a personal project.

The designed tower is a landmark in a district appearing sorely lacking of individual scale. Its strategic location at the junction of perspectives makes it the ideal site to create a signal able to participate in the revitalization of the district. Keeping the current raw structure, housings are removed from the bottom to be added on the top of the tower. Angles are opened via large loggias to bring more light inside and open the building to the surroundings.

Landmark The tower is the highest point in the district, offering a landmark to inhabitants

Variations Tower homogeneity is broken by several height variationsFacade transformation Loggias offer to all housings a good design quality and an excellent thermal insulation

Masterplan All buildings were rehabilitate by different architects, providing a strong individual identity to each of them

O. Dauce / R. Bussi / E. BartholeNijo Station / Japan Railways Group2,3 km / 2500 m2

Pedestrian highline, railway station, retails /Concept Design

Site analysisConcept definition + Diagrams3D models + Renders Schematic plans, sections, elevationsPresentation


As a part of the Vision 2030 for the Nijo’s district in Kyoto, this project begins with the willingness of a development alongside tracks of the current subway highline.More specifically, the concept of the RailStreet is to transform the Nijo station and JR subway highline in a pedestrian walk connecting all surrounding programs.

Indeed in Japan, due to the high density in cities, public activities (retails, restaurants, entertainment, shops, etc.) settled in every building level. The RailStreet is a good opportunity to connect them in a different way approach. The RailStreet might itself host various programs, from the gym to the university restaurant. The RailStreet offers then to the district new urban dynamics, complementing in an innovative way the existing rail system.

Train station Public spaces are clarified to lead travellers more efficiently Square Front station is also redesignedCityscape The railstreet passes through the city regardless the street network

Highline Railroads are transformed into a pedestrian highline connecting buildings between them

RAILSTREET, Kyoto, Japan (2011)Vision 2030 for the Nijo’s train station

O. Dauce / A. DenicCity of Paris12.800 m2

Gymnasium, library, retails, urban design/Concept Design



Implemented in the middle of a street network, the project focused on the creation of a common path, defined as an extension of the public space rising through the building. This common circulation connects different programs according to their respective needs in a willingness to create a dense and compact building but opened to the city.

This circulation recreates in a compact volume the various components of the urban landscape at the scale of a building, like a vertical village. Defined by the site environment (e.g. sunlight, views, river’s perspectives), this pedestrian circulation creates a dynamic path, allowing the development of break zones, open terraces, public gardens, etc.

Circulations The street connects programs though all levels as the only public access Scale Analogy of a usual public space, our internal public street uses the same components at a building scale

Density Programs and access are gathered to create a dense building

Vertical village The project is defined by a public street moving through programs from the ground level to the roof

URBAN COMPRESSION, Paris, France (2010)Conceptual Design for a mixed use public facility alongside the Seine

FOLLOW ME, Versailles, France (2009)Urban Design competition for the renewal of the city public space

O. Dauce / A. DenicCity of Versaille5.5 km of guided pathsPublic space rehabilitation/Concept Design



Versailles is not only the most famous castle in the world; it is also a beautiful city, rich in history and urban design potentials. Indeed, thousands of tourists are coming every day from three train stations but are quickly lost in historical streets, as the castle is a bit outside the city.

Our concept, winner of the competition, proposes to lead them through the city by setting up a series of signal elements inspired by the Japanese Torri settled at the Fushimi Inari, in Kyoto. If a Torri is culturally a gate toward a sacred space, they are so many at this specific shrine they create a tunnel leading people through the mountain.

Urban Design A very subtle and gentle way to transform the urban design in a protected area

Art Center A guide toward the culture Pathfinder New paths are created into the city

Guides The series of door are leading tourists from train stations to the Chateau de Versailles through the historical city center

A WALK IN JAPAN, From Fukuoka to Sounkyo, Japan (2013)A three month cultural tour in Japan

O. Dauce/5.000 km One or two days per city/Complete

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TravelerClientSizeProgramBudgetStage Personnal contribution

This personal trip was a pure discovery of Japan during three months, escorted by a sketchbook. Passing through the entire country, this trip was a real architectural and cultural experience, purposing to understand Japanese cities way of life and its connections to contemporary urban planning issues.

Using bus, trains, walking and even hitchhiking, I stopped wherever I wanted to for one day or two, based on local contacts, books or my daily feeling. The trip started in Fukuoka (Kyushu) and ended at Sounkyo (Hokkaido), representing in total a trip of more than 5.000 km.

Valleys A large part of the country could host the urban development toward mountains. Yet, they are strictly protected, creating dense spots in valleys

Density Each city is an incredible mix of programs, typologies and architectural forms unable to choose between a traditional and a modern lifestyle

Agriculture Unlike in western countries, the agriculture is still a familial based system, where everyone keeps his own exploitation through generations

Long walk A 5.000 km trip balanced between dense cities, outskirts and countryside

Fukuoka

Beppu

Matsuyama

Takamatsu

KobeKyoto

Koya San

Ise

Nagoya

TakayamaMatsumoto

Fuji SanTokyo

Nikko

Sendai

Tsuruoka

Akita

Aomori

Hakone

SapporoSounkyo

NagasakiKumamoto

Utchiko

Aso

Osaka

Kamikochi

Yamagata

GAIA, Lyon, France (2011)New fibrocement technology experimentation

ENSAV / Paris Boole School Vicat/Testing a new concrete technology (fibercement based)ConfidentialComplete

Technical DesignStudy modelsConstruction SupervizionTheorical researches

Architects/EngineersClientSizeProgram

BudgetStage Personnal contribution

This experimentation was based on a workshop summarizing the matter of cement technics in a construction project. How to practice the project, how to work as a team between engineers and architects, how to make a relevant design and especially how to achieve it?

This new technology based on an upgraded fibrocement allowed to create a very light and yet strong concrete. Issues came from the mold, its manufacture and its economy, but also from the use of the cement as a raw and yet extremely precise material to be a building component.

Final A one shot concrete wall, efficient both in process and resultsMolds Our specific process allowed a significant resource economy Team An architects/engineers collective design

Experimentation A full week workshop to test a new light and resilient concrete for the industrial and chemical company Vicat

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