Habiter Autrement . Jean Nouvel

Lormont housing . Bordeaux

Habiter Autrement . Ateliers Jean Nouvel . photos: © Philippe Ruault . + wallpaper

In the Lormont housing project, views of the Gironde river and the Aquitaine bridge are the key features. In order to optimize them, while minimizing visibility between neighbours, each of the 26 apartments has a unique shape the result of this arrangement is the building’s saw-shaped plan.

The sectional design works to enhance the spectacular presence of the 60 m high bridge. Two levels of apartments are stacked, with duplexes and triplexes above the ground floor each is shifted laterally in order to expose part of the roof. This allows the full-height windows along the faceted west facade, which faces the river, to extend into the ceiling. This transition from the vertical strips of glass on the facade to the horizontally-orientated roof lights emphasizes the effect of the ‘low-angle shot’ up towards the bridge towers. On the east side, the building is shielded from a noisy street by a metal-clad facade with relatively small openings here, transverse passages, clad in reflective material, amplify available light and create a blurry, dreamlike image of the landscape.

In 2012, Habiter Autrement / Ateliers Jean Nouvel was awarded the Agora Architecture Prize for the Lormont housing in Bordeaux. The jury, headed by Winy Maas of MVRDV, recognized the beauty of the project as well as the complexity of building on a site under the Aquitane bridge.

Type: Invited competition
Location: Lormont, France
Brief: Housing (26 rental apartments), parking
Sustainability standard: RT 2005–20%
Client: Foncière Logement
Developer: ING Real Estate Development
Area: 3,514 m²
Phase / Status: Built
Architects: Habiter Autrement (lead architect) / Ateliers Jean Nouvel / Mia Hägg, Sandrine Forais / Jean Nouvel Team: Project manager: Aude Lerpinière
Architectural consultant: Jean-Jacques Raynaud
Team members: Aimée Lau, Lina Lagerström, Félix Medina Mathilde Jauvin, Louis Mangin, Nicolas Métro, Marcel Züger
Competition team members: Pawel Krzeminski, Lina Lagerström, Kasia Jackowska, Noélie Sénéclauze
Landscape (AJN): Ewen Le Rouic, Irène Djao Rakitine, Céline Aubernias
Graphics: Natalie Saccudefranchi
Consultants:Sustainability (HQE): Franck Boutté, Transsolar (competition)
Structure: Khephren Ingénierie
Facades: DVVD
MEP: LBE fluides
Cost consultant: Georges Ventre
Technical inspection: Socotec