An exceptional timber structure to shape ideas

Located in the heart of the Porte des Alpes campus of Université Lumière Lyon 2, La Ruche hosts a new generation of teaching spaces.

This Learning Centre, a true emblem of university renewal, combines openness, sustainability, and innovation. An ambitious project to which we had the pleasure of contributing as specialists in custom wood construction.

Wood at the center of intuitive and sustainable architecture
Wood plays a fundamental role, visible in the imposing beams, internal corridors, and common areas. Despite its large dimensions (110 x 50 m), the building maintains a human scale designed to offer users maximum comfort.
“We designed an essential, bright, and intuitive building. A large transparent volume, crossed by an internal path, where each function is clearly identifiable.” Nicolas Favet, project architect.

Combining expertise in wood and architectural boldness
As the main contractor of the RUBNER, APC, SOCAM consortium, we had overall responsibility for the main framework, the mezzanine, and waterproofing. We designed and produced over 350 m³ of laminated wood, including monumental column-beams with spans of up to 17 meters.

A technical challenge completed in just three months, thanks to the mobilization of the best skills:

1. Our integrated design office
2. The Austrian factory of the group, recognized for its quality and production capacity to meet large-scale projects,
3. An approach rooted in the territories with carefully selected local experts for their technical mastery.

A technical and human achievement
Beyond the technical feat, this construction highlights the richness of fieldwork:

1. Coordination of teams (design office, factory, construction site),
2. Rigorous monitoring of assembly phases,
3. Adaptation to the schedule and constraints of the active university site.Thanks to meticulous planning and the involvement of everyone, the wooden elements were assembled on-site within a tight timeframe.