The project is located in the Monges-Croix du Sud eco-district, which occupies 57 hectares in the town of Cornebarrieu on the northwest outskirts of Toulouse.Located in immediate proximity to the town centre, Monges-Croix du Sud is a new neighbourhood—the backbone of the priority development zone—on the edge of which housing and facilities are being built. Designed as a “garden city” making best use of the existing landscape and the area’s relationship with nature, the eco-district places the emphasis on soft mobility and plays a role in the local green and blue grid.
The building marks the entrance to the development zone and provides a foretaste of it. It thus has a privileged location, particularly thanks to its proximity to new local public amenities (a nursery, a school, a sports complex and a library). Standing on the edge of a large grassy public area, the building has an architectural façade enlivened by an interplay of volumes and by the presence of ground floor shops.
The alternating heights (2- to 3-storey sections) and staggered alignments give the façades a feeling of rhythm and provide glimpses of the landscape. The design offers a clear, legible frontage when viewed from the Avenue Guillaumet, which runs along the edge of the park, while avoiding the monolithic effect of a residential building. The staggered alignment frees up enough space for large planted areas at the foot of the building, helping it to blend in with the landscaped space around it.
Half of the parking spaces have been placed under the building in a semi-underground car park, with ground-level parking to the rear. This makes cars disappear from the landscape, while the flats, which are raised above ground level and thus a good distance from passers-by, give the street its distinctive flavour.
This desire to create an interaction with the landscape continues in the private sphere: each flat has a deep sheltered balcony affording views of the surrounding natural environment.
The building has 4 staircases leading to 30 floor-through flats with dual or even triple aspect and private exterior spaces. Each group of flats is served by a vertical circulation core connecting the storeys, while access to the flats is via exterior gangways
The generously proportioned loggias (16.75 - 21 square metres) can be closed off and turned into conservatories by means of glass screens. Each forms an extra room offering uninterrupted views while providing privacy. They also have the advantage of providing passive protection from the sun, helping to prevent overheating in summer and allowing light inside during the winter.
In parallel with the 30 flats upstairs, the building also offers local residents local services in the form of new shops and a police station on the ground floor.
To make the shops located at the tip of the building more visible and attractive, we have opted for a full-height glass façade that continues around the sides of the building.
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