MVRDV is behind a newly commenced mixed-use housing tract called La Serre, to be located in the Paris region’s ZAC Léon Blum eco-district at Issy-les-Moulineaux.
The firm’s project announcement details an 18-story development defined by its open facade with a landscaped vertical village provided by landscape architect Alice Tricon.
MVRDV says a total of 390 trees will be planted throughout the structure, helping to defy “traditional housing norms” in order to present a refreshed take on urban dwelling that’s in tune with Paris’ need for biodiversity and constructed using a host of low-carbon materials.
The city’s Mayor, André Santini, said: “The project prioritizes nature, placing it at the forefront while the building recedes into the background. This urban oasis is not just a residential space; it's a genuine village square.”
An open steel rack superstructure hosts the carefully selected slate of 150 different (mostly native) plant species while providing 32,300 square feet of outdoor terrace and balcony spaces for La Serre’s residents on top of a base retail component.
More than a quarter of the building will be dedicated to inhabitable outdoor spaces. The development will include a total of 190 apartment units, 30 percent of which are to be allocated for social housing. MVRDV says this culminates in a three-dimensional mosaic, finished by a rooftop garden and other communal spaces on the facade.
“With La Serre, we bring nature to the heart of the city. This green, vertical community is home to a veritable social and ecological ecosystem, thanks to its animated façade,” founding partner Winy Maas said finally. “La Serre demonstrates how the biological and the social can be fostered simultaneously in architecture, creating a real urban habitat in Issy-les-Moulineaux. By harnessing the well-being of people and nature in this project, we hope to inspire similar innovative and sustainable hybrid typologies, both in the Paris region and around the world.”
A completion date for the La Serre project's construction was not available at press time.
The firm also recently completed work on the Gaîté Montparnasse block transformation of a 1970s design in the French capital.
1 Comment
Planting on buildings is not prudent as any plant roots will damage whatever exterior material they grow upon.
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