The Urban Piece C, which is the subject of the consultation, is the first step in the new Plaines-du-Loup district. Its location is central, with generous public spaces, and its role is to serve as the connection between the two activity hubs located on either side.
The set program also emphasizes its role as an interface and connector. A daycare will be one of the key components of the neighborhood, while the strong social character of the housing will complement the neighboring programs to achieve real social diversity.
Client: Société coopérative d’habitation Lausanne , Fondation Pro Habitat Lausanne , Fondation Lausannoise pour la Construction de Logements.
Programme: Construction of social and regulated housing, student housing, and activity spaces in the Plaines-du-Loup district. Outdoor developments and landscaping.
Surface: 17 115 m2 Green areas and landscape: 6 340 m2
Budget: 40 M CHF
Mission: Architecture and landscaping competition
Landscapers: OIKOS
Urban Integration
The response to the challenge posed by Urban Piece C is to treat it as what it is: a nuance, an exception to the predominant urban typology in the Plaines-du-Loup Urban Plan.
The Lot C3, at the head of the block and on the Avenue des Plaines-du-Loup, features a predominantly linear building, supported on the north side and on a continuous base occupying the entire sub-plot. This base includes commercial spaces along the avenue, as well as a daycare opening to the west side onto the square and surrounding an inner courtyard.
On the south side, this urban ensemble is complemented by a small building – also linear – that houses student housing.
Lots C1 and C2 have been treated together to form a long building characterized by common corridors on the south façade and small private balconies on the north side. This block is pierced at regular intervals, thus benefiting from great permeability despite its length.
A square is located between Lots C1 and C3. Part of the interior route of the neighborhood, as required by the program, it provides access and a breath of fresh air to the two facilities on the plot: the daycare and the community hall. This ensures that the public space remains lively and vibrant at all times.
Landscape Approach
To the south, a nourishing, participatory, and welcoming space. The contrast between streets 3 and 4 is reinforced by elements that emphasize the domestication of the space, inviting conviviality and even the intertwining of intimate and communal spheres. Vegetable gardens, playgrounds, bicycle storage areas, and other pathways are organized in a strong and clear geometric pattern.
Like an eco-district that places people at the heart of a shared landscape, the street to the south and its utilitarian gardens rely on the nourishing character of its plant palette; on its ability to unite an entire landscape, generate lifestyles, and create spaces for exchange. This character makes residents active and participatory in the life of the neighborhood and in the creation of a true sense of place.
To the north, an area that appears to be left in its natural state is heavily wooded, damp, and shaded, with only the pathways leading from the building cores crossing through it. The plants will be chosen for their “natural” and “nourishing” qualities, as well as their native hardiness. At the level of lot C3, this corridor becomes more urban and mineral, in dialogue with the nearby avenue, its shops, and building entrances.
The housing of lots C1 and C2
A desire for sharing and proximity is emerging in our societies at the moment. The competition program and the Urban Plan seem to take this into account.
The design of the building grouping lots C1 and C2 follows the evolution of contemporary lifestyles and proposes non-standard typologies with the hope of providing tailored solutions.
The boundary between private and public space becomes blurred. Common walkways pass in front of the private, intermediate, and multifunctional outdoor spaces, which serve both as access points to the housing units and as extensions of the living areas in winter or balconies in summer. Through simple, easily manageable means, these outdoor spaces allow for the control of heat gains and losses. They also regulate intimacy, thus fostering fluid relationships between neighbors.
Depending on the season, time of day, or the mood of the moment, the resident can either isolate themselves or let the outdoor space flow more or less into the interior.
Following this sequence toward the interior, the living-kitchens are located, with more intimate spaces at the back: the bedrooms, which can also be integrated into the setup as desired.
