The project is located on a brownfield site, at the junction between a retail park and a residential neighbourhood of single-family homes in Waterloo. This site, with its steep slope and surrounded by vegetation, forms a unique transition between two contrasting urban fabrics.

Our proposal involves the construction of two low-rise residential buildings – one with 10 apartments, the other with 9 – integrated into a private park with extensive greenery. Set back from the topography, the buildings blend discreetly into the landscape, behind a reinforced wooded belt. Their hexagonal shape offers varied views while ensuring a compact footprint with a favourable surface area/footprint ratio.

The project is based on a column-slab structure that allows for great freedom of use and real scalability of the spaces. This open plan is reflected in the façade: a concrete exoskeleton frames prefabricated wooden boxes, creating a play of solids and voids and emphasising the interiority of the project. Each dwelling has an exterior and large openings, while a central atrium floods the common areas with natural light.

The entire site is pedestrianised. Access is via a park-garden whose landscape, combining native species and differentiated management, recreates a forest environment directly linked to the architecture. In the basement, a shared car park connects the two buildings and houses the technical facilities. Passive systems and high-performance equipment ensure the thermal and acoustic comfort of the residents, in a spirit of sobriety.

Discreet from the street, dense and open at the heart of the block, the project is carefully integrated into a complex site, taking care to enhance the quality of the landscape while reconciling respect for the neighbourhood with architectural ambition.