Plaisance

Developed in a multidisciplinary manner, with the aim of setting an example in terms of sustainability from the competition phase onwards, this ongoing project has taken the constraints of the site and turned them into opportunities. Located in Yverdon, the site, which is home to buildings slated for demolition, is governed by a neighbourhood plan. The poor quality of the soil and the presence of groundwater have led to a detailed approach to the construction system, involving special works and impacting costs and sustainability.

The project, which comprises 95 dwellings, consists of long, slightly fragmented linear volumes, reducing the scale of perception. The buildings are three storeys high with a ground floor and an attic floor housing storage rooms, laundry rooms and technical facilities, all built on a narrow basement. The entire above-ground structure is made of wood, with the exception of the stairwells and lifts, which reduces the load on the basement and considerably reduces the number of piles and the size of the concrete structures in the basement. These construction and structural choices provide economical and sustainable solutions, with a very interesting grey energy balance.

In addition, the construction system has become an architectural theme within the dwellings. Based on a strict structural grid, offering flexibility of use, the dwellings open generously onto a park-garden for community living and benefit from exposed woodwork, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Significant typological work has been carried out to offer versatile and welcoming living spaces. The work on the structural framework, which is rational and adapted to the housing, provides the framework for a wide variety of dwellings, intended for seniors, families and young professionals alike. The flexibility of the rooms allows for multiple combinations and guarantees the long-term attractiveness of the flats on the local rental market.