56 housing units + 7 reversible accommodations
AMIDST THE CITY AND THE WOODS
Located in the northern parts of Nantes, The Champ de Manœuvre ZAC is part of a sector in the city that is undergoing a great change. Primarily occupied by wooded wastelands, wetlands and forest clearings, Champ de Manœuvre inherits the lines of an old wooden countryside landscape. Therefore, the three buildings of the project try to embody the spirit of the site through a constant search for dialogue between the strong existing nature and the urban consolidation process undergoing.
The three buildings are assembled in a staggered arrangement around a common square in contact with the avenue.
The building A marks the urban corner with its elongated shape. B and C buildings, which are shaped like blocks, are more aligned with the woods. The double attics of the buildings allow them to fit into an urban context while maintaining a modest and human scale.
RHYTHMS AND TEXTURES
The project is mindful of the arrangement of the wooden cladding according to the position of each building. On the facades of the buildings close to the street, lattice- style cladding is installed vertically, then intersected at each level by metal deflectors. Also, a cladding differentiation highlights the lintels of the bay windows.
The ground floor of the building is highlighted with a facade alternating glazing and a thin wooden frame. The vertical rhythm continues all along the pole’s grid of the semi-buried car parks. The facades of the building B are covered with a rough wood cladding that has the aesthethic of a log.
BALCONIES IN THE WOODS
Each of the housing units is designed to have at least two sun exposures as well as a generous and easily accessible outdoor space. The accommodations overlooking the woods have large balconies projecting toward the foliage. The accommodations overlooking the street benefit from loggias, allowing you to enjoy an exterior protected from street nuisances. Privacy screens and semi-opaque guardrails provide privateness for balconies and loggias.
REVERSIBILITY GROUND FLOOR
The ground floor of the building A located at the corner of the main avenue, encloses 7 temporary accommodations. It is designed in a reversible manner so that in time, when the ZAC is fully constructed and the neighbourhood life is developed, the ground floor of the building will be able to morph into new programs, including services and businesses. For that to be possible, the regular structural framework and its ceiling height of 4m must allow the possible evolution.
