Castorby Michel Abboud

Two factors determined the paired buildings' angular façades: the site location among built up small streets and blind alleys and the zoning regulations.

The structural ensemble that emerges is formed from two skins: an interior core in tune with traditional architectural construction found regionally and a steel exoskeleton wrapping the interior core.

The exoskeleton has a thin, light cable structure that serves as support for vines, vertical "green" walls and landscaping.

This outer skin expertly screens the interior core and gives a unified identity to both buildings as a whole, while ensuring that each building retains its own character based on orientation and growth patterns.

This in effect yields three distinct layers: the interior core, the metallic skin, and the dynamic bands of greenery that slink over the building, changing over time and through the seasons.