Sharing expertise at the France Répit University Diploma

Last monday, Fabienne Burdin, Architect and Scenographer, and Christophe Lecuelle, Lead Project Architect, spoke as part of the University Diploma “Respite care, prevention and support for family caregivers”, led by the France Répit Foundation. Invited to share the agency’s expertise, they presented the architecture of attention, from the concept to its concrete translation within respite facilities.

Training in the architecture of “care”

Created to develop, experiment and disseminate innovative solutions for caregivers, the France Répit Foundation works to structure a complete sector around respite: research, training, support, and dedicated facilities.
The two architects had the opportunity to share their expertise in two parts:

Designing an architecture of “care”, where Fabienne presented the theoretical and sensory foundations that guide our way of designing spaces capable of supporting care and respite practices. She explored how attention to the sensitive and sensory qualities of space can, alongside caregivers and healthcare professionals, contribute to care provision.
From concept to use, where Christophe illustrated this approach through two emblematic projects: the Maison de Répit in Tassin‑la‑Demi‑Lune and the future Maison de Répit in Boulogne‑Billancourt.
The session concluded with a visit to the Tassin Respite House, allowing participants to observe in situ how architecture supports attentiveness, pathways, and atmospheres.

A long‑term collaboration with the France Répit Foundation

These two pioneering projects reflect Patriarche’s contribution to this momentum for nearly 10 years.

Tassin‑la‑Demi‑Lune Respite House

As the first respite facility in France, this pioneering site, delivered in 2018, was designed as an architecture of calm and soothing:

Care structures intentionally discreet,
Bright and warm spaces inspired by hospitality standards,
Circulation paths fostering interaction and conviviality,
Integration within a wooded park and prefabricated timber construction.

Designed to welcome both long‑term patients and family caregivers, the Tassin‑la‑Demi‑Lune Respite House establishes the foundations of an architecture that supports as much as it shelters.

Patriarche shares its expertise at the University Diploma of the France Répit Foundation.

Boulogne‑Billancourt Respite House

In a highly urbanised area, the transformation of an existing building creates a place entirely redesigned around light, simplicity and well‑being.
Currently under construction, the project develops:

A soothing garden serving as the site’s landscape foundation,
30 bedrooms and 4 apartments for patients and caregivers,
A refined, flexible and open interior architecture,
The use of durable and bio‑sourced materials.

This new Respite House extends the ambition to design spaces that support the sensitive practices of everyday life, where the environment itself contributes to care.

This contribution is part of a broader reflection carried out within the agency.
Very soon, discover an exclusive audio interview with Fabienne Burdin, dedicated to the architecture of attention: how it is cultivated, how it translates into design, and how it guides our way of practising architecture.
Content coming soon on Open — Mind.

Client
France Répit Foundation
Team
Patriarche (architecture, landscape, signage,
OPC, engineering, all trades, cost management)
Credits
© Thibaut De Rohan, Nathalie Rives