GENERAL LAYOUT AND DISTRIBUTION
The L5 block follows the plot guidelines in terms of urban volume while ensuring appropriate residential scale. The block is closed on the west side to reconcile massing and program requirements, strengthen the privacy of the central garden, and create a semi-public east–west passage linking the street to the square.
The central garden (48m x 19m) forms a clearly defined, calm interior space—protected from urban noise yet open to the sky—maximizing sunlight and providing a high-quality natural environment. Conceived as an “inner world,” it highlights natural elements through lush vegetation and a longitudinal water feature.
Building volumes follow EPA recommendations to maximize daylight and usability. Collective and intermediate buildings are limited to 12m in depth (+2m terraces facing the garden). Ceiling heights exceed standard requirements: 3.10m at ground level, 2.70m on typical floors, and 2.90m on top floors.
There are 8 access points from public space:
Two main entrances (east street and west square) provide access to the garden, 43 collective units, and shared facilities (bike storage and waste rooms).
Six additional entrances serve 46 intermediate units via open-air staircases.
ORGANIZATION OF INTERMEDIATE HOUSING
Distribution
The 46 intermediate units are arranged along three sides of the quadrilateral in a stacked townhouse configuration:
10 ground-floor garden units (including 4 lower duplexes)
16 inverted upper duplexes (bedrooms below, living areas above) with 20m² terraces (up to 40m² for two western T4 units)
Due to this mirrored duplex arrangement, most living rooms are located either at ground level or on the top floor, while the second floor is largely dedicated to bedrooms.
Modularity
The project is designed as an assembly of 360 modular “rooms,” like a Rubik’s cube. A 3D grid (3.20m x 3.90m structural frame) defines 11m² modules. This allows flexibility in design and future adaptation (e.g., a 22m² living room can become two 11m² bedrooms). The system also enables generous outdoor spaces, with terrace modules equivalent in size to a bedroom.
Orientation
The grid enables multiple orientations:
24 dual-aspect units
20 triple-aspect units
Except for two corner T4 units, nearly all apartments benefit from cross-ventilation or triple exposure.
Priority is given to south-facing living rooms, especially in the southern wing. Ground-floor layouts favor direct connections between living rooms and private gardens rather than bedrooms.
COMMON AREAS
Access to intermediate units resembles grouped individual houses, with the threshold located at each private entrance. Six open-air but sheltered staircases serve 2–3 units per floor. These external circulation spaces allow natural ventilation of bathrooms and kitchens.
Shared facilities (bike storage and waste rooms) are grouped in two open but enclosed structures under the west wing, directly accessible from the square.
The central garden is the main shared space, with controlled access from both street and square. It includes:
12 private bike sheds (also usable as garden storage)
A dual status: 5m private strips along façades and a 10m-wide semi-public central zone
A landscaped zigzag path following rainwater runoff
Two circular wells marking the passage beneath the collective housing hall
COMFORT
Spatial quality and daylight are key comfort factors:
Generous ceiling heights (3.10m / 2.70m / 2.90m)
Enfilade room layouts creating long visual perspectives
Vertical windows carefully proportioned to balance interior daylight and exterior solidity
A double-skin façade system (glazing + perforated stone screen) filters light in living spaces while maintaining façade coherence. Bedrooms have simpler single windows.
STRUCTURE AND MATERIALITY
The project combines five main construction components:
Post-and-beam structural frame with hybrid wood/concrete floors
Self-supporting stone “brick” envelope forming the three volumes
Timber infill panels with earth or lime render
Timber joinery (sliding for living areas, casement for bedrooms)
Metal elements (stairs, terraces, bike sheds)
Stone is the dominant façade material, using elongated stone “bricks” (80 x 145 x 10 cm), with solid stone lintels and sills. Large openings frame timber window assemblies in larch wood, integrating external shading devices and structural posts.
