QUARTIERS DE DEMAIN: SAIGE / THE CONDITIONS
Over the past year, we took part in the International Consultation Quartiers de Demain
@quartiersdedemain.archi , initiated by French President
@emmanuelmacron to rethink ten neighborhoods across France through citizen participation, ecological responsibility, and adaptive reuse.
Our team was selected among three finalists, alongside teams led by l’AUC and Dominique Perrault, for Saige Formanoir in Pessac, a 1970s social housing ensemble designed by Jean Dubuisson, Francisque Perrier, and André Kelderman, home to 4,000 residents. The brief focused on the adaptive reuse of one of its eight towers (Tower 8), while improving connections to the city and university campus. However, the project was marked by a major contradiction: while the President publicly called for ending systematic demolition and promoting replicable renovation models, the local administration has been advocating for the demolition of three towers of the complex for nearly eight years.
Despite acknowledging the complexity of the local context and the long-term work of multiple stakeholders, no convincing evidence supports the claim that demolishing three towers would benefit the neighborhood. On the contrary, demolition poses social, economic, technical, and environmental drawbacks and blocks the implementation of affordable, sustainable solutions. This position has been clearly expressed by residents, including the CNL tenants’ association of Formanoir
@cnlogement , and by architectural practices such as Lacaton & Vassal and Christophe Huttin.
In a time of global housing shortage, economic uncertainty, and climate crisis, the embodied energy and resources of Saige represent a significant asset. Demolishing structurally sound buildings constitutes an act of urban violence against an existing community, its architectural heritage, and its environmental qualities.
As long as demolition of the towers has not begun, the story continues to unfold.
@51n4e (mandataire) with
@plancomun_ ,
@lafayette_architectes ,
@atmos.lab , Creaspace, Egitura, Cronos Conseil, Diese, Aïda, Artelia,
@etablissement_paysage @vpeas and
@charlesdaubas
cc
@houseeurope.eu