Massy Social Housing, France Building, New French Homes, Architecture, Photographs, Architect

Massy Social Housing Design

French Apartment Building: France Residential Architecture design by du Besset-Lyon Architectes

29 Nov 2012

Massy Social Housing

Location: Massy, south west Paris, northern France

Design: du Besset-Lyon Architectes

Residential Development in Massy

Following two street lines, the building stands on a corner and faces a public square. In order to hold its place efficiently within the urban fabric its architecture is simple and takes advantage of the sheer size of a 60 apartment’s construction. Size matters when it comes to achieve a dense city. Simplicity and some uniformity contribute to the appeal of residential buildings. The specific color of the facades helps assert the presence of the building.

Photos: Philippe Ruault

The building must also seduce by giving an impression that the residents benefit a number of advantages in term of living. Consequently, every architectural move corresponds to an advantage: bow-window, loggia, large balcony, terrace, private garden, large window….

The project offers 5 types of apartments:
• On the ground floor are duplexes set 80cm higher than the street level. Their façade on the street is setback as to form a planted loggia that is 3 meters high. This approach contributes to the urban scale of the building and offers a deeper perception of trees planted along the sidewalk. The back facades open on private gardens.
• On the interior of the plot stand four row houses surrounded by private gardens.
• On the first floor: small single oriented apartments, with a street view, large windows and a narrow balcony.
• On the current levels: double oriented apartments with balcony or loggia and bow-windows 60 cm deep. The windowsills of the bow-windows are 75cm height as to enlarge the space without consuming square meters.
• On the last floor: apartments with two or three orientations and large terraces.

The majority of apartments have a separated kitchen with a sliding door leaving the possibility to have the table either in the kitchen or in the living room.

The building presents high efficiency in term of energy (HQE)
The main building is treated with corrugated aluminum cladding that is light grey or plum-colored. The loggias on the ground floor are covered by green tiles. The row houses are treated with wood cladding.
The structure and the balconies are in concrete.

Massy Social Housing – Building Information

Site: on the corner of Ella Maillard and Leonard de Vinci street, ZAC Ampère, MASSY
Program: 60 apartments (different types from studios to 3/4 room apartments), a retail space and 60 parking lots
Surface: 5088 m²SHON
Cost: 6, 8 M€ ht
Client: IMMOBILIERE 3F
Architects: du Besset-Lyon Architectes
Design Team: Dominique Lyon, Pierre du Besset
Project manager: Svetla Grigorova
Team: SCOPING (structure, fluids engineering, economics and HQE)
Photographer: Philippe RUAULT
Completion: April 2012
Credits: drawings, plans – courtesy of du Besset-Lyon

Massy Social Housing information / images received from du Besset-Lyon Architectes

du Besset Lyon Architectes

Location: Massy, France, southern Europe