Re-inventing Coignet site in Saint-Denis

The thesis offers research into possible new living spaces in which to experiment with the design of spaces for the transitory reception of different inhabitant communities (students, migrants) and possible forms of co-habitation. It is an experimental project, on the themes of living, intended as an eco-social laboratory in the contemporary city.

The project aims to address the housing crisis in Saint-Denis, with the objective of creating housing accessible to the many people in difficulty in the area, experimenting with new possible ways of living and creating a new energy community.\r\nThe project was born from observation and in-depth study of the territory. Poverty and stigma are countered by a dense network of associations that activate the territory through the creation of tiers lieux.\r\nThe process of activating the lot is carried out according to an evolutionary logic in stages, with the involvement of various actors who are present in the territory, such as collectives and associations.\r\nThe main objective is to \"désenclaver\" the site and open it up towards the neighbourhood, reinterpreting the limits of the area.\r\nWork is done on the existing buildings to enhance the historical past of the Coignet factories, and new volumes are used to create spaces for initial reception and social integration, transitional housing and production spaces. The site becomes a new place of reference for the community, where a new way of living is experimented, as opposed to the projects underway in the neighbourhood. \r\nAn incremental process drove us to search for a modular and evolutionary type of architecture. In fact, the planned building follows the principles of Disassembly Design. A modular wooden frame fills and empties, according to different configurations, as required. The careful study of the structural system led to the identification of a deck-access block-of-flats typology with green courtyards that guarantees the co-existence of private and shared spaces. Furthermore, the typology allows for easy expansion and reversibility of the dwellings.\r\nThe same system is used for the creation of the vertical greenhouses, the agri-food laboratories and the spaces for cultivation and sale on site.\r\nThe idea comes from the desire to comply with sustainability objectives and above all to follow the evolution of life, satisfying people's needs at all times.