Social housing
The project is located at the entrance to the town of Dreux in the Centre-Val de Loire region, opposite the train station. The characteristics of the site make it singular; in fact, it is characterized by a sparsely populated urban fabric, made up of townhouses and mid-rise buildings. What's more, the plot on which the residential building is to be constructed is located along a busy street with a high volume of traffic, and opposite the Dreux railway station, 250 meters below. We took these characteristics of the site as a starting point to organize our project and meet the client's expectations as closely as possible in terms of housing quality and compliance with the program.
The layout and massing make the most of the site's characteristics. To be polite to the neighbors and respect the scale of the neighbourhood, we first sought to position the various elements of the program in their proper place on the plot. The four-storey multi-family housing program is located to the north, along Rue des Rochelles, creating a more urban massing facing the station. Indeed, from north to south, the buildings lining the site are increasingly lower in height, ranging from R+2 / R+3 on Rue des Rochelles to RDC / R+1 on Avenue Jean Moulin. It therefore seemed appropriate to follow this logic of building gauges. What's more, this allows the multi-family dwellings to open out to the south, and the north-facing bays to take advantage of the unobstructed views afforded by the railroad.
This urban bias also reflects the intention to leave a large space to the south for a communal garden, away from the noise of traffic from Rue des Rochelles. The site has a steep gradient: from the lowest point in the north to the highest point in the south, there is a difference of 2.5 meters. To adapt to this, the apartment building is located at the lowest point, parallel to the curves of the topography.
Our architectural proposal reflects a simplicity of language. In fact, it takes up fairly typical urban forms, without any stylistic effects. The multi-family dwelling rises to R+4. The ground floor houses the parking area and two access lobbies organized in two separate blocks. The building is composed of two blocks, whose volumes are the result of a balance between compactness and openness. We sought to create a coherent, well-proportioned shape that would allow for a multiplicity of corner situations, since we felt it was important for each dwelling to benefit from a double orientation. Indeed, the building is rather compact, measuring 16m in depth, yet most of the living rooms are angled or walk-through, and benefit from continuous sunlight. Each hall contains PLUS and PLAI units, and each floor features a variety of typologies.
The facade cladding is designed to be durable and to blend in with its context. With this in mind, we proposed that the facades be finished in off-site precast concrete, tinted in the mass in a pinkish-red color.
We decided not to have any apartments on the ground floor. The ground floor therefore houses the communal and technical areas, grouped in two blocks around halls 1 and 2. For practical reasons, the garbage room is located inside, in the parking area.
Each building has a different typology on each floor. The typological distribution complies with the program and specifications for new construction. The landings on each level are naturally lit by bays in the facade, creating an open effect on the project as a whole. The latter may contain additional storerooms. All units benefit from double orientation. Wet rooms are grouped together as much as possible to optimize layout and ducting. Living rooms are positioned in the corners, in direct relation to their terraces.
For reasons of rationalization, the plans are superimposed in the majority of configurations from floor to floor, and we have favored the superimposition of the same spaces. The project is the result of a collective approach based on dialogue. The aim is not to draw up a fixed project, but rather an open system that can be appropriated by all stakeholders and that will enhance the value of OPH Habitat Drouais' assets.
The layout of the plot was designed to be as simple and versatile as possible, to facilitate appropriation by residents and local residents alike, but above all to facilitate maintenance and control. The outside stabilized walkway leads to an area of unplanted, ungrassed topsoil, allowing residents to use this space as a shared vegetable garden. The path passes between two rainwater retention basins, which are landscaped with aquatic plants native to the Drouais region. Endemic plant species are favored to echo existing flora and promote biological continuity. The species selected for the project are aesthetically pleasing (shapes, colors, textures), ecologically sound (refuge for beneficials and small fauna) and non-allergenic. The plant environment is designed to be harmonious and structured, and to be of interest all year round, stimulating children's senses and supporting various educational projects involving the observation of flora and fauna.
