The Armagnac block creates a transition between the typologies of small Bordeaux boutiques and the new density in the neighbourhood. This hull-shaped block initiates the urban development of the Belcier district. It brings a form of urbanity to the Place Armagnac that fits the exiting scale and gradually moves towards the taller scale of the city to come. It comprises constructions that are strictly aligned with the streets and a visual opening at the heart of the block that looks out onto the public square to the south. It is a mixed-use block featuring dwellings and public facilities. The heart of the block is treated as a garden. Its terraced form to the south makes it visible from the square.
The heart of the block is a green, planted space that is communal to all the dwellings. These are all very different and mostly open onto the central garden, which can be accessed by everyone. The car park is not underground, but its 4 levels have been invisibly integrated into the block, surrounded by dwellings and lit with natural light to the north. A footpath crosses the block and runs up to the entrance of each building, reinforcing the overall conviviality.
The central garden is made of a succession of terraces rising from the public square up to level 6, right at the top of the block. The “hanging gardens” effect faces directly south and is accentuated by the diversity of the plantations and the private terraces, which also give onto the garden.
The buildings have been designed along the principles of sustainable architecture. All the façades have outside insulation. The roofs are mainly south-facing and are equipped with photovoltaic and thermal captors. Some have veranda/conservatories, inter-climatic spaces that prolong the living room and enable heat to be channelled in winter and ventilation in the summer.
The housing offers both lighting qualities and living qualities: most are walk-through or face in two or three directions. Large cross-duplexes with high ceilings give onto the public green space. The dwellings that look onto the heart of the block all have outside extensions: balcony, loggia, garden, or roof terrace. The communal areas are lit with natural light.