Architecture et territoires
Thermal regulation / inertia column (Vendée, France)
Developed by Architecture et Territoires, an architectural practice based in the Vendée, this structure, in the form of a hollow rectangular pillar, helps to even out the temperature between the two floors of the building.
The structure rises to a height of 5.3 metres, and crosses both levels. At the very top, a small fan blows the hot air back into the column, optimising its performance.
The MecoBriq walls were installed with a thin joint using a fine, creamy mortar: a clay slip.
Actif Emploi
Thermal regulation / dynamic thermal wall (Pyrenees, France)
The dynamic thermal wall optimises the thermal regulating properties of MecoBriq. A channel between the bricks houses a PVC pipe through which a fluid passes.
The wall is then supplied with hot or cold water, enabling the house to be cooled in summer or heated in winter.
To keep energy bills as low as possible, a reversible heat pump, combined with a solar water heater and a ground-source network, can regulate the temperature of the wall.
SCOP Terre Avenir
Thermal regulation / Trombe wall (Isère, France)
The trombe wall, placed behind glass and facing south, allows warm air to circulate without any energy input other than that from the sun.
The wall faces due south and is placed behind a pane of glass. When the sun shines on the glass, the temperature of the area between the wall and the glass rises. The air is blown into the room through an opening at the top of the wall.
A vacuum is then created between the wall and the glass, which draws fresh air into the room through an opening at the bottom of the wall.
To avoid overheating in summer, an overhanging roof prevents the sun’s rays from heating the glass.
Magne
Thermal regulation / masonry heater (Gaillac, France)
This masonry heater was self-built. This heating system can heat a room for several days with just a few hours of flames, and generates very little heat, thanks to a particularly efficient combustion principle:
The hearth rises to a very high temperature, and the smoke circulates through flues that raise the overall temperature, sometimes to over 60°C. Once the fire has burnt out, the heat is slowly released back into the house.
Actif emploi
Thermal regulation / inertia walls (Vendée, France)
Two inertia walls were built in this house. The first, made of MecoBriq “pivot”, is a half-cylinder surrounding a wood-burning stove. Its shape allows it to surround the stove and better store the heat radiated by it. Its cylindrical shape and the pattern formed by the bricks also make it a decorative feature of the house.
The second, rectilinear wall has more of a passive accumulation function, allowing it to “capture” the heat radiated into the room by the various sources of emission (residents, ovens, radiators, etc.). The combination of these two solutions can significantly reduce energy consumption.
Wine cellars in Burgundy
Renovation / wall lining (Burgundy, France)
Lining the walls of this building has improved its thermal and moisture performance. Bricks made from rainwater, and therefore chlorine-free, prevent the occurrence of pathologies which are harmful to the proper conservation of the wine.
The qualities of the earth have also enabled the winegrower to better manage the hygrometry and temperature of his building, and thus make savings.
Maison Puig
Construction / partitions (Vigoulet Auzil, France)
The production of the bricks and the assembly of the various partitions were carried out by self-builders, using soil from the same plot of land. The partitions in different parts of the house help to balance the temperature. In the main room, a wood-burning stove is used to heat the room, while the partitions capture any excess heat and store it, releasing it after heating.
Lévêque
Thermal regulation / inertia walls (Marzens, France)
This was a self-build project. The “pivot” and “4×2” MecoBriqs were produced using soil from the same plot of land, and were used to create several structures with different shapes, giving an original aesthetic to the main room of the house.
Les voisins terre pelle
Construction / partitions (Vendée, France)
This participative housing project was built in La Roche-Sur-Yon in the Vendée. The bricks used were made by the actif-emploi social integration site, and the walls were erected by self-builders.
Chez les voisins
Construction / load-bearing walls (Montesquieu, Gers, France)
The building was self-built in 2016 by 70 volunteers, a craftsman and two young architects. The 100 m² space, which is accessible to people with reduced mobility, is built from mud bricks, pure adobe, wood and recycled materials. Semi-open-plan, it comprises a 70 m² room, a kitchen and a bar. Outside, there are three terraces, a dry toilet building, a planted filter and an access ramp. Chez les voisins is first and foremost a place where people meet.
Galerie Épisodique
Art installation (Paris, France)
Detail of the installation “États” was created in 2016 by ceramic artist Jacques Kaufmann especially for the exhibition “Terres” – carte blanche to Alia Begana, architect at the gallery épisodique, in Paris. The exhibition was part of the “Young memories” series of exhibitions organised by painter Alexandra Roussopoulos. The bricks used in the exhibition were manufactured by Bricabloc, based in Deux Sèvres.
