Beautiful Environmental Housing Project Adds Green to the Heart of Paris

From the very start, the mission for this <a href="http://inhabitat.com/eco-friendly-social-housing-project-east-of-paris/" target="_blank">residential housing project</a> in southeast Paris was to be of the highest environmental standard and serve as a pilot for future projects. With its beautiful white facade and striking red interiors, the housing project spans the North and South side of rue La Chapelle and incorporates a green roof, solar energy and a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/vaulted-green-roofed-passive-house-in-the-english-countryside/" target="_blank">high performance envelope</a> to ensure the building minimizes its use of energy and water. Designed by Paris-based <a href="http://www.ade-architectes.fr/_main.html" target="_blank">ADE Architectes</a>, the Lodgements HQE Nord and South also help reduce utility costs for residents.

The project straddles across the street and incorporates gardens planted with bamboo and magnolias and commercial space on the ground floor.

Breaks in the buildings highlighted with <a href="http://inhabitat.com/hotel-sotelias-green-roofed-tiers-fold-seamlessly-into-the-landscape/" target="_blank">bright red facades</a> draw more daylighting into the apartments above and allow for natural breezes to blow through the gaps assisting with <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/natural-ventilation" target="_blank">natural ventilation</a>.

Each apartment has windows on at least two facades to facilitate cross ventilation.

There are 93 apartments total, designed for people of all ages that can also adapt as they age or new tenants move in. Eight of the apartments are designed to be wheelchair-accessible.

A high performance thermal envelope minimizes energy use for heating and cooling.

White polished concrete, facing the street reflects sunlight, and fiber cement siding or aluminum cladding inside the plot to absorbs energy depending on their orientation.

Ground floor gardens and common spaces encourage a sense of community in the development.

Hot water is heated by solar panels on both roofs, a roof on the north building is <a href="http://inhabitat.com/augustenborg-botanical-garden-is-a-red-yellow-and-green-roof-bursting-with-color/" target="_blank">covered in vegetation</a> to absorb stormwater, and rainwater is collected for landscape irrigation.

Apartments on the South Building facing North enjoy balconies to soak up the sun.

Each new tenant, upon moving into their new apartment, is given a "Green Guide" to help educate them about the building's features and encourage them to participate.

The floor plan for the north building.

The floor plan for the South building.

The housing project incorporates a number of different strategies in order to reduce energy and water use.