Lafarge - Villa Navarra

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Villa Navarra
Rudy Ricciotti,
architect
Romain Ricciotti,
engineer
Mouloud Behloul,
engineer
Ductal ® ,
outstanding material
Rudy Ricciotti,
architect
An architecture of confrontation
between landscape and materials
Design
A material used sparingly to meet the loads
Prefabrication
The art of moulds and pouring
Assembly
A traditional journeyman’s task
Texts: François Lamarre. Photo credits: Philippe Ruault;
Agence Ricciotti (cover, P. 08, P. 09, P. 15); Elise Sévère
(P. 09, bottom). Edited by Lafarge. Design and production:
External communication Lafarge;
VILLA
NAVARRA
DUCTAL ® ,
OUTSTANDING MATERIAL FOR
AN ARCHITECTURE OF EXCEPTION
Developed by Lafarge, Ductal ® ultra high performance fibre reinforced
concrete has innovative properties which pave the way for architectural
designs hitherto unheard of.
Its special composition gives it exceptional compressive strength,
six to eight times greater than normal concrete.
For structural applications, the use of special metal fibres provides
Ductal ® with ductile properties, hence the name: with flexural strength ten
times that of standard concrete, it can undergo substantial working stress
without shearing.
Ductal ® is easy to use, and provides an infinite number of new
possibilities. Its fluidity and the absence of conventional aggregates
in its composition enable it to adapt to the slightest detail in the formwork
and allow for the creation of extremely fine and thin forms that cannot
be obtained with a traditional concrete structure. The resulting surfaces
reproduce, with exceptional precision, the texture of the moulds.
The surface appearance can thus adopt a range of aspects, and when
polished, it can even imitate stone or marble, providing a remarkable
aesthetic finish.
Ductal ® is resistant to corrosion, abrasion, pollution, bad weather or
shocks, making for a life span 2 to 3 times longer than that of
conventional concrete.
Ductal ® is an integral part of a sustainable development approach.
Its mechanical performance, combined with its durability, its aesthetic
qualities and its high compactness help reduce the environmental impact
of construction, throughout the building's life cycle. Ductal ® requires
half as much material and energy and results in CO2 emissions of up
to half those induced by conventional concrete. It features the thermal
mass capacity of concrete which, when optimized, helps reduce energy
expenses when the building is in service.
All these features make Ductal ® a high performance and sustainable
construction material capable of the most impressive of architectural feats.
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