Concept
The project occupies one of the last remaining large sites in the commune of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, at the edge of the forest which gives the commune its name. With the redevelopment of the site, the local authority underlined the need for a sensitive approach with regard to the proximity of the forest based on the principles of sustainable urban planning, setting the example for future development.
The scheme proposed by Arte Charpentier makes reference to the urban analyses by Jacques Ferrier who found that the transition area between two ecosystems, in this case the forest edge, is often richer as a biotope than each individual ecosystem when considered separately. The project, therefore, exploits the inherent potential of the site’s double identity, both urban and natural, in order to lay the foundations of a new hybrid district in direct contact with nature.
Program
The heart of the site echoes the architectural concept of a nesting of forms and the analogy of a clearing or forest edge. On the side fronting the major urban axis, the landscaping is composed with formal lines of planting, whilst in the clearing it is articulated in relation to the irregular forms of the surrounding buildings. A series of interlocking spaces are accompanied by a mix of shrubs and open lawns, banks of wildflowers and mini woodland groves, creating a range of types of spaces with varying levels of privacy in relation to one another and to the buildings. The two types of landscape approach interconnect in a dynamic way expressing the transition from centre to outside and vice versa.
Team
Client
– Client: Les Nouveaux Constructeurs
– Planning Architect: Jacques Ferrier Architectures
Design Team
– Design Architect: Arte Charpentier Architectes
Technical Consultants
– Structural: Atelier de structure ADS
– Building services – Fluids: FOBIS
– Thermal: Fluides Concept
– Technical inspection and site safety: BTP Consultants
Project Specifics
– Title: ZAC Lisière Péreire
– Postcode: 78 100
– Town: Saint-Germain-En-Laye
– Competition: 2013
– Delivery: 2017
– Programme: Construction of 102 apartements within the development zone
– Area: 6000 m²
Photo credits: DR Arte Charpentier Architectes
