MVRDV has completed work on Ascension Paysagère, a residential complex in Rennes, France which takes inspiration from “geological formations.” Designed in collaboration with co-architects ALL, the project delivers 138 homes within the 12-story, 113,000-square-foot scheme, including 37 social housing units and 42 affordable housing units.

Located at the meeting point of two rivers, the development comprises two curving buildings with gradually receding slopes. A mixture of matte and glossy ceramic panels clad the complex in five “stratified” tones of gray, with dark matte tiles concentrated near the ground and lighter, glossier tiles to the upper levels. This stratified arrangement continues at night, with lighting integrated in the ceramic panels becoming more prevalent as the buildings rise.

The two buildings step up towards the center of the site to form three peaks. The terraces created by the gradual steps are occupied by residential terraces, allowing every apartment to be provided with outdoor space. Each outdoor space, whether a terrace, balcony, or loggia, is also equipped with custom plant posts fitted with automatic irrigation.

At ground level, the project’s curving form defines a series of public spaces including a “green pedestrian street,” a riverside plaza, and amenities such as a restaurant and theater. Also at ground level, three wood-clad passages “punch” through the building to form primary entrances to the complex.

The design places an emphasis on alternative modes of transport with 2,260 square feet of bicycle parking area, including dedicated spaces for cargo bikes and electric charging stations. 34 of the development’s 138 homes are also completed to Passivhaus standards.

"In Ascension Paysagère, we have delivered a project just as we hoped it would be, and exactly what is needed in this location," said MVRDV founding partner Nathalie de Vries. "With the river and the park opposite, the site offers a wonderful location for people to live. The challenge was to allow as many people as possible to live here without destroying those qualities. We do this by creating an ensemble of two buildings with silhouettes like small hills, covered with terraces and balconies to allow the inhabitants nice outdoor spaces that are already provided with large pots for plants and trees."

The scheme is one of several recently completed projects by MVRDV. Earlier this month, the Dutch firm completed their first US building with a “colorful verticial village” in Manhattan, while last month, we took a look inside the firm’s newly-opened Valley towers in Amsterdam. Back in July, we also explored MVRDV’s post-pandemic interior redesign for Shopify in Berlin.

Other projects either nearing or achieving completion on our editorial include a former LA Times print facility converted into offices by EYRC Architects, Studio Gang’s Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, and an old Spanish gas plant renovated as a workplace by Foster + Partners.