The town of Soliers is located south east of Caen in Normandy. It is a small city whose territory is mainly rural, which however is part of “Caen la Mer” urban agglomeration. It has many agricultural lands which will allow the development of its urbanization.

Due to the region attractiveness, many new inhabitants are moving into town. Willing to welcome new inhabitants, while controlling its development, including urban sprawl, the city has decided to extend its urban area, with a new district: the “ZAC du Parc”. This new urban area will allow the construction of more than 56,000m² of floor space, creating new services and specially 560 housing units. The “ZAC du Parc” district is directly connected to the city centre. The district will therefore develop according to an assertive landscape.

 

In this new development, the social landlord Inolya acquired two plots for the creation of a 19 units program. The first plot named “A1”, is located in front of the future central square. It will accommodate 11 intermediate housing and 4 houses. And on the second plot “A2” there will be 4 town houses.

 

Currently the “ZAC du Parc” is under construction, with several houses already built. The entire road network and the central plaza are still under construction.

It is in this context that we have designed a 19 units program on the two plots.

 

Plot A1 :

The new intermediate housing building faces the central square of the ZAC.

The north façade is relatively compact and classic to enhance the landscaped and mineral work of the public space.

The bike storage on the ground floor enlivens the main street thanks to the transparency of its metal cladding.

The building is divided into 3 parts and, on each setback, the volume is cladded with wooden tiles. Each volume is topped with a double-pitched roof with variable geometry which appearance is changing depending on the angle of view. Two private pathways give access to the heart of the plot and to the apartments. These alleys create a smooth transition between public and private space.

 

The central part of the plot is mostly a landscaped area, with intermediate and individual housing on both sides. However, a large part of this space is dedicated to outdoor parking. The parking spaces are therefore planted to reduce their impact.

Volumetrically on the courtyard side, the intermediate housing building asserts its architectural identity. On the ground floor, apartments have gardens and on the upper floors, the façades are setting back to reveal generous terraces or balconies.

On the south part of the plot, the road is mainly bordered by individual dwellings with heterogeneous architectural styles. So, in accordance with the urban context, the four houses of the project are set up along this road. Their volumes follow the curve of the street and create a new urban morphology.

The individual dwellings continue the architectural style of the intermediate housing and offer variable pitched roofs geometry. They mainly have large windows overlooking the garden to the south and providing significant interior comfort.

The plot boundary is planted with bushes which preserve the privacy of the inhabitants while providing spatial quality.

The volumes skyline breaks the monotony of the street and the urban space.

 

Plot A2 :

Along the road, many houses with different architectural styles are under construction. The plot for the 4 townhouses is located between a contemporary house on the south, a retention pound on the north, and some high trees at the rear of the plot on the west.

The main idea for this part of the project was to preserve the same architectural identity than the individual dwellings of the plot A1, by adjusting their sizes defined by the division of plot A2. On the main facade, the windows follow the roof angle.

The boundary with the public space is treated with technical part walls for the electrical equipment and the mailboxes. Some bushes complete the landscaping treatment.

 

The houses therefore creates a general urban link with the housing of the plot A1. This strategy will facilitate their urban integration over time.

 

The housing creates a uniform and continuous built environment along the street. Only the rhythm of the roofs and the garage doors marks the limit between each dwelling.

Each house has a large garden at the rear of the plot, which offer views towards the high trees on the edge of the district.