Broadening horizons
«Pignons sur rue» is the first residential building built as part of the urban regeneration of the Pérouses neighbourhood in the town of Brignais, near Lyon. The plan has ambitious goals in terms of architecture and social engagement. It is pioneering and stands as a marker in the urban environment. It is the trigger for change: instigating a new dynamic, setting the tone, and prefiguring the transformation. However, the architects were not working off a blank page and had to compose with the existing history, the town being rebuilt on itself.
Surrounded by allotments, and buildings being demolished or renovated, the block stands as a testament, a softer, gentler feature in what is still a difficult setting. The urban layout, its volumes, shape and materials create openings and views, making space in the future buildings. Broadening horizons, is surely one of the key qualities of the work of the architects at rue royale, whose urban and architectural convictions we find once again in this project.
A brief history of the neighbourhood
Les Pérouses is neighbourhood composed of 12 buildings built on five hectares of land in 1972. It is composed of 365 social housing flats managed by the OPAC du Rhône social housing provider. This represents half of the total social housing provision in Brignais and 11% of the town’s population. As part of an urban regeneration project overseen by the lead architects and urban planners Unanime, the diagnosis recommended opening up the neighbourhood to the town centre, de-densifying by bringing back smaller buildings, and the recomposing the urban landscape with a mesh of streets forming blocks. In total, there are 176 flats being demolished, 224 being rehabilitated and 330 new-builds by 2020. The main project stakeholders: the Brignais town council, the Garon valley grouping of municipal councils, the OPAC du Rhône and the regeneration partners (the State, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and the department) set out a detailed roadmap including programmes for building new facilities, and a new housing offering to meet the social challenges of increasing social diversity and re-establish the balance between social and affordable housing with a target of a 60%-40% split, working to the highest quality standards in order to use the architecture as a means of sustainably modifying the image of the neighbourhood.
A permeable but rigorous block
The programme is made up of eight intermediate housing units, two small blocks of 36 flats, a municipal employment platform and 47 parking places, including 43 closed garages in the basement and four on the surface.
The block made up of three buildings named «Le Giverny», «Le Villandry» and «Le Breteuil» is situated between the rue Paul Bovier Lapierre, which is the main route into the town centre, and a building currently undergoing renovation, which it will ultimately be separated from by a new landscaped pathway.
Forming the junction between the existing building and a plot of agricultural land turned into allotments, the project establishes a pacified urban relationship which is both homogeneous and varied.
The porosity and permeability of the toothcomb implantation give the whole a unique feel.
The volumes correspond to the maximum height of the neighbouring building. The overall project is composed of two small blocks of flats (4 and 5 floors) situated on the north and south boundaries of the plot and the intermediate housing blocks in the centre. The boundaries are therefore clearly established.
Two collective buildings with a sliding effect
The two buildings are each composed of two offset blades, differentiated by the materials used and their heights. Each flat has a south-facing balcony and the facade on this side is characterised by the second wooden skin with a wave-like form. To the north of the building there is an additional floor and the facade is composed of grey cement-fibre panels which created subtle vibrations due to the positioning and thickness of the windows. Thin horizontal white bands mark out an irregular pattern up the height of the building, as they are offset from floor levels. The premises used by the local council’s employment platform are located on the ground floor of the building to the north. The facility is bright yellow, so clearly visible and will form part of a business park under the new urban plan.
8 intermediate housing units with very simple volumes
The intermediate housing is inserted into small three-floor east/west dual-aspect volumes. To the west, there are single level flats with private gardens and surface parking, which form an active strip between the public street and the private housing. To the east, the entrances are marked by large saffron-coloured shafts. Each flat is dual aspect and has a large, spacious balcony.
A second wooden composite panel skin
To the south a second layer of wooden panelling covers the balconies. It undulates, creating a dynamic movement. The irregular pattern of the boarding creates a dance-like effect. It preserves the residents’ privacy and acts as a sun shade. It is composed of hybrid composite and aluminium planks by Geolam®.
Meticulous outside spaces
The outside spaces have been designed with meticulous attention to detail. They constitute a gradual progression between the outside street and the internal housing. On the rue Paul Bovier Lapierre, three small buildings enclosed by a wall made of imprinted concrete, contain the cycle sheds and utilities. Patterned railings cleanly close off the residence and incorporate the car park entrance and exit. Numerous different materials are used for the small spaces, the private gardens, and allotments.
Housing for all
«Pignons sur rue» has very clearly stated social aims. The housing programme not only offers the expected level of modern comfort (flats that are easy to adapt, private outside spaces, multiple aspects), and meets environmental and architectural standards, but also complies with the «Rhône + Vivre chez soi» charter for independent living. Nine flats include sheltered living features to allow elderly people or people with reduce autonomy to stay living at home.
