Not only will the student occupants of this unusual new building in Paris have some of the brightest and most modern apartments in the city, they’ll also have a view of the Eiffel Tower. ‘Basket Apartments’ by Slovenian architecture firm OFIS consists of stacked timber-clad volumes set at various angles to provide optimal shade, daylighting, privacy and interesting vistas of one of the world’s most beautiful places.
Located just off a new section of the Paris metro along Parc la Vilette in the city’s 19th district, ‘Basket Apartments’ is an 11-story student dormitory with 192 individual residential studios. The design firm’s primary concerns were insulation and ventilation, using the sunlight for optimal heat gain. The shaded bamboo structures that stick out from the main part of the building to provide private outdoor space avoid thermal losses, envisioned by OFIS as ‘wooden cocoons.’
In addition to daylighting, temperature regulation and sustainable materials, OFIS integrated a screen for climbing plants, photovoltaic panels on the roof and a rainwater collection system. The plants will provide shade in the summer, and the rainwater is stored in a basin pool and used to water the outdoor green spaces.
The space between the two parts of the building contains an enclosed community garden, and another green space north of the plot is covered in trees to offer a park-like atmosphere. See lots more photos at Design Boom.

