The headquarters of the Malerba Group — a tailor-made project for a family-owned company that prioritizes quality of life in the workplace.
The new headquarters of the Malerba Group, the French leader in the market for building door units, embodies the company’s core values — Innovation, Excellence, and Human-Centeredness — while addressing quality, sustainability, and adaptability.
An inclusive co-design process with employees, guided by MOM – Ministry of Makers, and ongoing dialogue with users shaped this bespoke project.
The identity of this family business is built around the concept of the “House,” both in its exterior design, through an interplay of roofs and interwoven façades, and in the interior, with “cabins” in the reception area that lead into the workspaces.
Two building wings are organized around shared spaces: a double-height central hall and a hanging garden designed to foster encounters and interaction. The Malerba House is integrated into a rich rural landscape where outdoor and planted areas are emphasized.
The office spaces are arranged on open-plan floors, with flexibility ensured by the use of partitions and frames manufactured by the company. A wide variety of work environments (private offices, open spaces, meeting rooms of various sizes, pods, informal areas) supports a range of uses and adaptability to new ways of working.
Meeting and collaboration spaces are particularly well-designed. The cafeteria opens onto a landscaped garden, and an auditorium accommodates training sessions, conventions with employees, clients, and external partners.
Comfort and interior quality are ensured through abundant natural light, optimized summer comfort, efficient use of space, and ergonomic design, promoting collaboration and proximity between departments.
Environmental quality, flexibility, and agility guided the structural choices: concrete floors for thermal inertia, wooden columns, timber-framed façades, bio-based insulation, lime plaster, and a façade design punctuated by metallic fins. A land reserve has been planned for potential future expansion of the company. Summer comfort — a key issue in the context of climate change — is ensured through adjustable sunshades, ceiling fans, night-time ventilation, and a high-performance building envelope. Additionally, in an effort toward simplicity and in line with the carbon footprint assessment, the offices are designed without raised floors or suspended ceilings.
Groundwater-based geothermal energy and on-site power consumption, supported by photovoltaic panels on the adjacent logistics building, round out the energy performance strategy.
Finally, the construction project favors local businesses and geo-sourced materials. Reuse of “golden stones” from the demolition of a house on the site also helped build the retaining walls for the outdoor terraces.
Client
SAS Malerba
Client Representation
MOM (Ministry of Makers)
Design Team
Architect : AIA Architectes
Engineering : AIA Ingénierie, AIA Environnement, AIA Management, LASA (acoustics)
Landscape : AIA Territoires
Program
Mixed wood-concrete structure and façade / BEFUP slats / precast fiber-reinforced concrete
Sustainability Features
Geothermal energy / reuse / geo-sourced materials / low carbon / timber structure / timber-framed façades
Certification
RE2020, HQE BD Label
Surface Area
3,822 m² net floor area
Cost
€11.55 million (excl. tax)
Delivery
November 2025
Images © AIA Life Designers