Their experiment was produced as part of the FAIRE accelerator, with doors that were recovered from the site of the former Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Hospital, thanks to the support of Paris & Métropole Aménagement. It serves to demonstrate the potential of occupational rehabilitation through the reuse of building waste.

For Vincent Parreira and Marie Brodin, the construction sites of Greater Paris are not only a valuable source of materials that can be designed with, but also a resource for vocational rehabilitation. Acting on this conviction, alongside Mobius, France’s largest supplier of materials coming from reuse, in 2019 they started identifying, classifying, and referencing all removable components that were present in the buildings slated for demolition on the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul site.

The 1,200 doors, selected for their serial character as well as their materiality, were removed from site thanks to the deconstruction market set up by the developer, Paris & Métropole Aménagement, and then transported to Mobius’ workshops in Rosny-sous-Bois. Using this homogenous resource, Atelier Architecture Vincent Parreira designed furniture for everyday use—doors, tables, bird houses, and lamps—and then manufactured the first prototypes with Mobius. The transformation allows for the extraction of 60 m³ of waste as furniture, as well as the simultaneous training of 8 people under the guidance of Ares, a nonprofit focusing on social and economic rehabilitation.

Allowing for a production line to be set up, ultimately demonstrating that reuse creates jobs!

De l’immobilier au mobilier, les modèles exposés dans le Studiolo sont les premiers d’une série bien plus grande. Plus de 200 tables seront produites ! Elles serviront de mobilier pour les stands du 10e Forum international Bois Construction organisé à l’été 2021, au Grand Palais éphémère à Paris. Ce partenariat, engagé très tôt avec cet acteur majeur de la promotion de la filière bois, a permis de stabiliser cette expérimentation et mettre en place une chaîne de production démontrant ainsi que le réemploi c’est de l’emploi !

Key figures
> 1,200 doors from the former Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Hospital delivered by Paris & Métropole Aménagement
> 60 m³ of material: doors made of solid wood, plywood, oriented strand board, particle board...
> 1,099 hours invested in their transformation
> 8 people trained. Both women and men undergoing occupational rehabilitation, over a period of 4 months
> 200 tables made available to exhibitors of the 10^th International Wood Construction Forum at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris in 2021

* The Studiolo, an exhibition space that can be seen from Boulevard Morland, highlights experiments and research projects that contribute to the discussions on the state and development of architectural design and urban models. Its rapid, open programming intends to explore the challenges of the city as it is being built. Accordingly, its first exhibition describes a project-based research initiative conducted as part of the FAIRE accelerator, launched by Pavillon de l’Arsenal with the support of the City of Paris, Caisse des Dépôts, MINI, and EDF.