Libreville, Gabon
Onomo International develops its hotel concept in Gabon

The Onomo 3 star hotel in Libreville was designed by Ivorian architects Guillaume Koffi and Issa Diabaté. It is built around two large patios which act as the "lungs of the project", to borrow the words of Guillaume Koffi. "These internal gardens can be seen from each area of the hotel: common areas such as the lobby, lounge, restaurant and meeting rooms, as well as from the privacy of one's room. Around these gardens are built the 118 rooms of the hotel, spread across two levels. Each room features a terrace/balcony. "
The hotel concept that Onomo International has developed on the African continent is based on three fundamental principles: providing guests with maximum comfort at an affordable price, promoting a high-quality model of sustainable development and optimising local resources and advances in technology. Guillaume Koffi and Issa Diabaté have fully achieved these aims: "The uniqueness of its function, the stylishness and modularity of its spaces, the simplicity of its façades, the richness of its interior volumes, the openness to the outside, the proper placement on the site and lastly the innovative and efficient environmental solutions have all enabled us to make this building a shining example of how hotels are built. Common and streamlined construction methods were adopted to reduce costs. The way in which the wide and well-ventilated peripheral passageways were designed will naturally enable the air conditioning to be used less, whilst ensuring the temperature remains at a comfortable level."

Objectif Alu, a key partner of Koffi & Diabaté Architectes for the supply and installation of aluminium materials, manufactured and fitted more than 120 TOPAZE sliding systems, a dozen fixed + opening-sash + door glazing units and 4 GEODE curtain walls. "We appreciate these products for their design and how much natural light they let in. Both of these factors meet our requirements in terms of aesthetic quality and managing energy consumptions for lighting", Guillaume Koffi said.

Contracting authority: Onomo International
Prime contractor: Koffi & Diabaté Architectes
Aluminium company: Objectif Alu
Photos: Koffi & Diabaté Architectes

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Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe
A vibrant airport

The extension to Pointe-à-Pitre international airport in Guadeloupe was created to receive regional air traffic and facilitate inter-Caribbean journeys as well as those between France and the Antilles. The terminal serves 7 regional planes and 2 medium-haul services. It consists of a departure hall shaped like a circle and a check-in building, both of which are connected to the international zone by two separate covered passageways, one for departures, one for arrivals. "The taxiways and aprons were created a year before the extension project, so we organised the buildings accordingly, hence the circular shape of the building."  Architect, Jean-Max Périchon, explained. Another constraint, which was just as important, was managing the movement of passengers. For this, we had to take into account incoming and outgoing customs requirements for three zones; regional, international and the Schengen area!"
In terms of aesthetics, the prime contractor was wholly successful in meeting the goal it had set itself: harmonising the new buildings with the old whilst giving them a strong architectural identity that expresses itself in particular in the way that light and shadow interact in the building's envelope. This envelope consists of a concrete wall with wide openings of 4 x 2.5 m. On the interior, it is lined with a randomly perforated aluminium skin depicting a bamboo forest. In addition to the calming and intimate aspect created by this building, something which didn't go unnoticed by those who first used the building, this architectural solution has excellent thermal, acoustic and wind-resistance performance.
Savima carried out the aluminium work, much to the satisfaction of Jean-Max Périchon who had already "used Savima and TECHNAL for 3 or 4 other curtain wall projects. Each one turned out perfectly thanks to the manufacturer's know-how and TECHNAL's technical expertise." The architect also highlighted "the dynamism and responsiveness shown by project management, who supported each adaptation or change that we suggested for the project."

Contracting authority: Pointe-à-Pitre Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Guadeloupe)
Project Management Assistance: Aéroport de Paris Ingénierie (ADPi)
Prime contractor: Jean-Max Périchon and MPH Architecture
Design Office: GEC Ingénierie
Aluminium company: Savima
Photos: MPH Architecture

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... GREEN

Vietnam
Two seminars on sustainable construction

Last summer, Remi Rezeck El-Zouki, Sales manager at Sapa Building Systems South East Asia, and Ms Trang Bui Huyen, Pre-sales representative in Vietnam, held two seminars on energy savings and sustainable development in the building envelope. TECHNAL is very sensitive to these issues and is constantly innovating to provide the markets with architectural solutions that limit energy consumption in buildings and improve accessibility and user comfort.

More than 40 architects, consultants, developers, etc... gathered in both Hanoi and Da Nang to learn about TECHNAL's products and to reflect upon the different methods of sustainable construction, and in particular the issue of additional investment expenses, which pay off in the long term thanks to energy savings. The participants also learned about the companies that work with TECHNAL. This was a chance for Remi Rezeck El-Zouki to inform people that these companies benefit from TECHNAL expertise in correctly implementing the products prescribed by the brand.
Of the products that are particularly well suited to ecological projects in Vietnam, where temperatures are high all year round, double-glazed windows were of particular interest to the architects, both for buildings and for single-family homes. SUNEAL brise-soleil and GEODE double-skin façades was also very appreciated.
Finally, Remi Rezeck El-Zouki used photographs to illustrate several projects that are emblematic of sustainable construction and in which TECHNAL was involved, often prior to the design stage, in providing architects and consultants with solutions that both suited their creativity and provided performance in terms of energy savings.

... EVOLUTION

TOPAZE+ :
contemporary sliding window and more!

The TOPAZE sliding window is the ideal system for external joinery in hot climates and tropical areas: designed to withstand cyclones, solutions with Safetyline louver systems, built-in louvered infills or blades for ventilation or sun protection, and built-in mosquito screens. To adapt TOPAZE to other climates and to the specificities of other world regions, TECHNAL has developed TOPAZE+, which provides designers of single-family homes or apartment blocks more choices in terms of design, dimensions, and comfort.

Straight version	Rounded version	Half-moon handle
The design of TOPAZE+ includes two opening sashes with a strong identity: - one opening sash with straight mullions for an understated, highly contemporary design, - one opening sash with slightly rounded mullions to soften the appearance of the lines. A half-moon handle with a curved design was created specifically for this opening sash. All the fittings are finished to match the sliders, no hardware components are visible, and the glazing gaskets with reduced flashing are designed for minimal visual impact.

Using 6 to 24 mm glazing provides solutions for acoustics, insulation, and reinforced security. Tested for 20,000 opening and closing cycles, TOPAZE+ is designed to last and it is easy to move with up to 200 kg of glass per leaf. The rounded design of the opening sash features a single-step opening-unlocking system to make the service leaf easy to handle (TECHNAL patent). Several locking mechanisms to choose from the single 1-point latch, up to 4-point lock with handle and key lock.

TOPAZE+ = DIMENSIONS+ With the 31 mm opening sash, TOPAZE+ can be manufactured in a full height version up to 3,000 mm thanks to the inertia of the 31 mm glazing units. These opening sashes can receive specific sun protection infills.

	TOPAZE+ = ACCESSIBILITY+ TOPAZE+ can be fitted with a flat threshold that facilitates user access. It complies with French overseas territory regulations on accessibility for the disabled.

TOPAZE+ = LIGHT+ Several applications are possible, from opening sashes with 2, 3, or 4 leaves on 2 rails up to sliding bays with 4 or 8 leaves on 4 rails.

TECHNAL seminar in Marrakesh, Morocco
The LUMEAL sliding window with concealed opening sash steals the show!

LMI, a manufacturer and installer based in Marrakesh, invited architects and real estate developers to get to know the company and TECHNAL products during a seminar last 16 October.
More than forty construction professionals attended this presentation of the company and of TECHNAL‘s products, including the renowned high-performance LUMEAL sliding window. The innovative design of the concealed opening sash is even more highly regarded by specifiers since, in addition to its very contemporary, minimalist design and RC3 resistance to forcible entry, it provides exceptional thermal and acoustic performance. Ideal for use in luxury apartments and hotels, LUMEAL has been chosen to replace the 120 sliding windows in the Pullman Mazagan hotel in El Jadida Bay.
The seminar also provided an opportunity to present the TECHNAL brand and its values, which are the foundation of contemporary architecture: innovation, design, thermal and acoustic performance, user comfort, and bridging the gap between architectural designs and environmental requirements.
TECHNAL has had a presence in Morocco for more than 25 years, and more recently in Marrakesh with its partner LMI, which provides manufacturing and installation quality in compliance with European standards. TECHNAL intends to continue its precious collaboration with the region's architects and consultants.

See also: the article published in e…tcetera n°10 on TOPAZE sliding window manufactured by LMI for the Royal Palm hotel in Marrakesh.

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E-book TECHNAL
Around the world of architecture in a click!

For more than a year, TECHNAL has been developing the TECHNAL e-book, an interactive application for tablets and smartphones that presents many of TECHNAL’s emblematic projects signed by today's greatest architects, including Jean Nouvel, Carlos Ferrater, Moshe Safdie, and Lacaton & Vassal.
Designed for intuitive, simple navigation, the TECHNAL e-book presents each project with several photographs as well as details on the products used.
Following the success encountered by this application, available in 4 languages, TECHNAL has just added 42 projects, for a grand total of 90!
The TECHNAL e-book is available on TECHNAL’s websites and is directly integrated in the TECHNAL app on tablets. It will soon be available for downloading in Google Play and the App Store.