Coldefy designed the “Maroquinerie de la Sormonne”, a low-carbon leather goods factory in the Ardennes, for the French design house and heritage brand Hermès. The factory’s thoughtful design is one that revisits the archetypal leather atelier. Coldefy created a unique building made up of simple volumes and transformed the traditional design of the shed roof. The result is a factory workshop for Hermès with an enduring, bioclimatic architecture that prioritises the well-being of its occupants.

Hermès played a key role in guiding a number of the project’s design aspects, including the choice of lighting and acoustics, the seamless flow of products and personnel, the functionality and ergonomics of workspaces in relation to the manufacturing process, the compactness of circulation distances and product flows, the modularity and flexibility of spaces, and the building’s maintenance and upkeep.

The factory as a house

In revisiting the archetypal production workshop, Coldefy’s challenge lay in addressing the conventions imposed by process and production logistics. To create both a welcoming environment and a fully-fledged leather workshop, the studio designed a building that combine softness, sobriety, and technical sophistication. Coldefy describes the atelier as a village of artisans within a large horizontal house, whose folded design forms a new canopy of wood. The shed roof, evocative of the industrial world, is redesigned as a north-facing, double-sloped glazed roof, symbolising the house. The roof incorporates an overhang, offering protection from direct southern sunlight.

On the inside, the ubiquitous diagrid timber frame continues the symbolism of a house. A subtle domestic ambiance helps create a conducive environment for concentration and collaboration. In the spirit of passing on knowledge and skills, Coldefy designed a sequence of spaces that would naturally work to foster dialogue.

Construction and materials

The 5,700-square-meter bioclimatic building is clad in charred timber, framing the sweeping glass facades. Large cantilevers that span the entire length of the building protect porch areas and terraces.

The factory’s interior layout is practical and straightforward. A set of four cutting workshops defines the heart of the leatherworks. The size and proportions of these workshops can be easily adapted by reorganising the partitions within the the building's structural grid. The factory’s future-proof design ensures that the building is flexible and adaptable, allowing it to meet changes in circumstances as they arise.

The Maroquinerie de la Sormonne is primarily constructed from wood, with only a concrete floor slab. The building’s facades consist of dark-tinted aluminium and locally sourced burnt Douglas fir cladding, supported by a spruce wood frame. The burnt wood finish is shou sugi ban, a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation. This method imparts exceptional strength and durability to the wood while also creating a decorative finish. Black steel cladding on the factory’s roof complements the burnt wood.

Bioclimatic design

The bioclimatic design of the Maroquinerie de la Sormonne is in line with both Hermès’ and Coldefy’s environmental ambitions. The factory was designed to meet France’s E4C2 certification standards, assessed on the basis of two criteria: energy (E+) and carbon (C-). An E4 label, the highest level, indicates that the factory is a positive energy building. A C2 label, also the highest level, signifies an efficient operation that minimises the factory’s carbon footprint.

Coldefy achieved the E4C2 certification through a low-tech, common-sense, and sustainable approach to the factory’s design. Its environmental performance measures include: 

• Water recovery meadows and ditches used for phyto-purification.
• The use of low-carbon materials such as timber.
• 1,900 square meters of rooftop photovoltaic panels, supplying 100 percent renewable energy.
• A geothermal heating and air-conditioning system, and high-performance stone-wool insulation.

Biodiversity

The Hermès factory sits in an industrial zone in the Ardennes, nestled in the middle of a park. Coldefy worked with environmental experts to preserve and enhance the area’s biodiversity. Local species of vegetation and an orchard were planted.

Given the unique hydromorphic conditions of the site and the analysis of its flora and fauna, the project aims to minimise its impact on the existing environment while simultaneously enhancing it.