Chrystelle Sanaa's Municipal Technical Centre is clad in thin strips of cedar
A timber-clad box punctuated by narrow windows rests on top of a stone wall to form this extension to a municipal facility near Montpellier, France, by local architect Chrystelle Sanaa (+ slideshow).
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Chrystelle Sanaa created the Municipal Technical Centre by extending series of recently completed buildings on the edge of French commune Saint-Jean-de-Védas.
![St Jean de Vedas Technical Center extension by Chrystelle Sanaa](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/St-Jean-de-Vedas-Technical-Center-extension-by-Chrystelle-Sanaa-_dezeen_468_5.jpg)
The new facility accommodates the town's technical and urban planning services, which had previously been housed at a temporary workplace elsewhere.
As a result of this, Chrystelle Sanaa was tasked with designing a building that could be erected quickly. She was also asked to come up with a design that is clearly distinguishable from the adjoining concrete structure.
![St Jean de Vedas Technical Center extension by Chrystelle Sanaa](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/St-Jean-de-Vedas-Technical-Center-extension-by-Chrystelle-Sanaa-_dezeen_468_8.jpg)
She proposed a prefabricated wooden building that sits on a concrete foundation, which was constructed by a local carpenter in just seven months. The use of prefabricated timber also helped to reduce disruption on the busy site.
![St Jean de Vedas Technical Center extension by Chrystelle Sanaa](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/St-Jean-de-Vedas-Technical-Center-extension-by-Chrystelle-Sanaa-_dezeen_468_0.jpg)
The plot flanks a major road and marks the entrance to the facility, so the architect added a stone feature wall facing the access road, referencing the vine terraces typically found in the Montpellier region.
![St Jean de Vedas Technical Center extension by Chrystelle Sanaa](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/St-Jean-de-Vedas-Technical-Center-extension-by-Chrystelle-Sanaa-_dezeen_468_9.jpg)
A canopy that cantilevers from two edges of the building is lined on its underside with the same spruce cladding as the facades.
![St Jean de Vedas Technical Center extension by Chrystelle Sanaa](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/St-Jean-de-Vedas-Technical-Center-extension-by-Chrystelle-Sanaa-_dezeen_468_12.jpg)
The narrow windows punctuating the exterior can be covered by sliding across wooden shutters, preventing direct sunlight reaching the interior.
![St Jean de Vedas Technical Center extension by Chrystelle Sanaa](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/St-Jean-de-Vedas-Technical-Center-extension-by-Chrystelle-Sanaa-_dezeen_468_1.jpg)
The ground floor of the building is open to the public and contains a reception area, offices and a connecting passage to the adjacent building.
![St Jean de Vedas Technical Center extension by Chrystelle Sanaa](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/St-Jean-de-Vedas-Technical-Center-extension-by-Chrystelle-Sanaa-_dezeen_468_4.jpg)
The two upper storeys house the offices and workspaces, with bold graphics applied to the walls and doors to aid navigation.
![St Jean de Vedas Technical Center extension by Chrystelle Sanaa](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/St-Jean-de-Vedas-Technical-Center-extension-by-Chrystelle-Sanaa-_dezeen_468_2.jpg)
Photography is by Marie-Caroline Lucat.
Project Credits:
Architect: Chrystelle Sanaa
Carpenter: MLS Construction Bois, Mèze, France
Client: City of Saint-Jean-de-Védas
![St Jean de Vedas Technical Center extension by Chrystelle Sanaa](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/St-Jean-de-Vedas-Technical-Center-extension-by-Chrystelle-Sanaa-_dezeen_20.gif)
![St Jean de Vedas Technical Center extension by Chrystelle Sanaa](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/St-Jean-de-Vedas-Technical-Center-extension-by-Chrystelle-Sanaa-_dezeen_21.gif)
![St Jean de Vedas Technical Center extension by Chrystelle Sanaa](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/St-Jean-de-Vedas-Technical-Center-extension-by-Chrystelle-Sanaa-_dezeen_14.gif)
![St Jean de Vedas Technical Center extension by Chrystelle Sanaa](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/St-Jean-de-Vedas-Technical-Center-extension-by-Chrystelle-Sanaa-_dezeen_15.gif)
![St Jean de Vedas Technical Center extension by Chrystelle Sanaa](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/08/St-Jean-de-Vedas-Technical-Center-extension-by-Chrystelle-Sanaa-_dezeen_16_1000.gif)