Two decades after the devastating fire in a dilapidated residential building on Rue Fraizier in Saint-Denis, a new construction project marks a turning point in the urban development of the north of Paris. The Parisian agency DREAM (Dimitri Roussel) has realized a residential ensemble with 44 units there – half for rent, half as subsidized ownership according to the “Bail Réel Solidaire” (BRS) model. It is the first project of its kind in Saint-Denis. However, the ambitious gesture is less about architectural showmanship and more about functional, mass-produced housing that strives for social integration.
The new building stands on a site that has been derelict since the fire in 2001. The fire at the time drastically exposed the dilapidated conditions in the old building, which was being used by shark tenants. The ensuing vacancy was perceived not only as a physical defect, but also as a social one. DREAM now sees the project as a contribution to “repairing” the neighborhood – and to re-establishing trust in the urban space.
The 44 residential units are spread across several buildings and follow a clear principle: as much individuality as possible within the standardized production. Almost all of the apartments are open-plan, with many facing in several directions. The majority have generous outdoor spaces – balconies or gardens at ground level. Interior qualities have also been considered: separate entrance areas with storage space, daylight kitchens that can be closed off if required and large window openings with panoramic views are all part of the repertoire.
The floor plan design is based on the charter of Plaine Commune, the inter-municipal association responsible for the area. The urban positioning of the buildings responds to morphological and climatic analyses of the site. A typical planning response is, for example, the staggering and orientation of the volumes to optimize daylight and natural ventilation.
In terms of design, DREAM dispenses with design experiments. Instead, the architectural expression arises from the materiality and rhythm of the façade. Wooden slats, metal panels and open balcony structures made from a combination of wood and metal structure the outer shell. Great importance was attached to prefabrication: The timber frame construction walls, including cladding, windows and shading elements, were manufactured entirely in the factory. The self-supporting balconies also arrived on site pre-assembled.
This strategy has several advantages: Firstly, it increases the quality of execution, and secondly, it reduces the construction time – a factor that plays a particular role in the densely built-up and socially sensitive Saint-Denis. All in all, the result is a residential building that relies on CO₂-reduced construction methods without playing this off visually.
What is striking about the project is the effort to establish communal zones alongside the private living space – a concept that is often referred to elsewhere as “third places”. In Saint-Denis, the elements are simple but effective: a large, inviting entrance area, green inner courtyards with passageways and roof gardens that serve as places to retreat and meet. The lobbies act as semi-public buffer zones between the street and the apartments. Visual references to the courtyard are intended to provide not only light but also social control.
The whole project was designed in collaboration with the public housing association Plaine Commune Habitat. The aim is to appeal to a heterogeneous group of residents – both people on low incomes and young families who want to build up property through the BRS model.
With a construction cost of around seven million euros and a living space of 2,775 square meters (SHAB), the project is within the scope of what is feasible in a subsidized context. The “NF Habitat” certification and compliance with the French thermal insulation regulation RT 2012 with a 20 percent reduction underline the ecological focus.
Those involved in the project include Bollinger+Grohmann (structural engineering), ENEOR (building services), Le Sommer (certification) and Topager for the landscape architecture. Cap-Exe was responsible for coordinating the various trades.
What can be deduced from the project in Saint-Denis for the current housing debate? Certainly not a new type. Rather, it shows how a combination of solid planning, serial production and municipal control can make a contribution to sustainable urban development – beyond creative exaggeration, but also without falling into banal functionality.
The architecture remains restrained but deliberate. It unfolds its effect through everyday use – as a place to live, to meet and to reappropriate a long-neglected urban space.
