The shape of the islands and the roads, the rigor of the alignments underlined by the continuous balconies, the coexistence around the service courtyard of neighborhood relations, are all signs attesting to the vigor of Haussmannian town planning in this district of Paris. We wanted to work on the material and offer unprecedented levels of service on this type of program: stamped concrete, common areas in oak, solid parquet floors, large glazed surfaces were made possible thanks to formal restraint of the project.

The project finds its place in a strip – prone to flooding – between Seine and railway tracks, between riverbank and hillsides.

The housing is grouped into four plots aligned on the street, served by two volumes which connect them two by two. A breath of fresh air between the Seine and distant views which is not only a passage but the hope of neighborhood encounters.

By carefully aligning themselves with the street they accompany, the plots display, with their three floors, a reasonable scale, similar to that of the beautiful villas on the hillsides or on the banks of the Seine. Moreover, volumes emerge on the roof to confirm this dream of a house.

The interior layout offers large corner living rooms making the most of both exposures by means of bays of remarkable dimensions.

Rue de Nantes is characterized by an alternation of suburban buildings and investment properties. The variations in alignment and styles give it a real urban quality. However, to the north, the street presents a rigid and characterless building front. The first objective of the project was therefore to find a new urban quality in four stages

– create a rift of light right up to the heart of the block
– use the urban rule to advantage
– express the presence of the nursery
– limit the perceived height to four floors