EQ & Zero Energy 20 housings

In the context of the exhibition Habiter Ecologique (Living Ecologically) curated by Dominique Gauzin-Müller, the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine commissioned proposals from eight teams of European architects for the design of a residential building in Boulogne-Billancourt, a suburb to the west of Paris. The characteristics of our submission are:  

-  Rendering it an integral part of a sustainable district, the project is crossed by a public pathway leading to the Jardin Albert Kahn (park). 
- A high-density project, exploiting to the full the building potential of the site.
- Low-rent social housing to contribute to social diversity in Boulogne-Billancourt.
- A mixed programme: housing, an experimental crèche, a café also serving as a common room for residents, an organic co-op. 
- Homes of various sizes, bigger than average, at least one openable window in each room (natural ventilation and lighting); all homes have two outside areas, one facing north, the other south. 
- Two collective guest rooms available according to need 
- The roof terrace accessible for hanging out laundry and for family leisure activity.
- Low construction cost, so that eco-responsible and eco-efficient housing can be accessible to all, rather than contributing to a new form of social division. 
- High energy performance: zero energy, passive buildings + solar hot water heaters + photovoltaic panels + wood heating 
- Modular industrial steel constructions to cut down on construction cost and for a clean building site, reduced  ?grey energy? produced from fossil fuels, a short construction time, bigger dwellings, and maximum design flexibility (no load-bearing walls).  
- Acoustic comfort through the creation of double walls and silent rooms to the south, allowing acoustic protection while permitting nocturnal free cooling necessary for summer comfort  
- Phytoremediation of greywater (generated from laundry, bathing, etc.) and brownwater (sewage) through a Living Machine in a glasshouse on the roof. 
- Harvesting of rainwater, to be used directly to clean outdoor communal areas, for the watering of landscaped areas, and for toilets. 
- Exterior insulation with Métisse insulation produced by charity organisation Les Compagnons d'Emmaüs from recycled worn-out clothes. - No parking facilities for cars due to public transport (bus and underground) in front of the building and less than 50m away; 
- Publication of a How to Use your Home guide so tenants can use their housing in an eco-responsible way.