Nanterre Cœur Université

Nanterre Cœur Université, a new hub of life

Within the Cœur de Quartier development project being carried out by Paris La Défense, the West lots were designed by Bouygues Immobilier, through its UrbanEra® approach, on behalf of the city of Nanterre and Paris La Défense. Named Nanterre Coeur Université, this group of lots (housing, offices and shops) is in line with the dynamics of the city of Nanterre, which is growing and changing every day, and with that of Paris La Défense, which is developing a complementary offer to that of the historic business district.

The eco-neighborhood stands out on two fundamental aspects: the social and functional mix (free housing, social housing, shops, offices, leisure activities, etc.) and its innovative design, which integrates an artistic approach and an energy loop that constitutes the first double Smart Grid in France.

Residences with diversified architecture

Within this new living environment, the residences are distinguished by their emblematic and varied architecture

Connec’T

Designed by architect Farid Azib (Randja firm), this building offers a refined architecture. It combines elegance and sobriety, while playing with wood and glass. From the apartments, large bay windows offer beautiful views of the landscaped areas and the planted promenade.

IconiK

Designed by architect Manal Rachdi (OXO architects), this residence is organized around a green heart of the block and enjoys an ideal location, between calm and liveliness. Built in the shape of a bow, IconiK displays planted facades through a series of cascading terraces. Behind this natural double skin, glass panels and metal mesh refine its elegance

Apogé

This building, also designed by Manal Rachdi (OXO architects), is bordered by nature and offers calm and serenity to residents. With its sober and atypical architecture, it features cascading floors. Its facades, with their urban character and mineral appearance, reveal balconies and staggered terraces as well as numerous loggias. On the north side, the partially glazed facade brings luminosity to the apartments

Initial

Designed by François Leclerc (architect and urban planner) and Samuel Delmas (architect), this residence is built on an urban base with shops. Its architecture is contemporary and varied. Adorned with concrete of different textures and soft white and light ochre colors, it adopts a rigorous geometric scheme that reveals patios or loggias. These living spaces offer a beautiful orientation and privileged views of the surrounding landscape. Its urban facades also follow a variable and modular geometry.

A mixed-use and connected neighborhood

Well located and well served, this new neighborhood is a concentration of innovations and offers a lifestyle that facilitates meetings, exchanges and sharing.

This new eco-neighborhood, designed and coordinated by urban architect François Leclercq, covers an area of 76,000 m². It combines a mix of uses and functions, with :

• 35,000m² of housing
• 27,000 m² of offices
• 14,000 m² of shops, services, leisure and cultural facilities, including a 10-screen cinema
• 2,500 m² of green spaces.

An innovative and positive environmental project

Particular attention has been paid to the landscape design of the Nanterre Coeur Université district, and the BiodiverCity Aménagement label obtained is the result of collective efforts. The process was carried out in partnership with the developer Paris La Défense, the architects and landscape designers of the urban project (Henri de Dreuzy from the Babylone agency and Fabien Cullié from the Symbiosis agency), with the support of experts, notably Christelle Leterme, an ecologist from the company Elan, and Les Nouveaux Potagers for the design and management of shared gardens.

The purpose of this label is to evaluate and display the performance of the urban project by taking biodiversity into account. It aims to promote, from the design stage, the consideration of biodiversity in a new typology of buildings and public spaces that give an important place to nature in the city.

As a counterpoint to the dense, mineral urban fabric, the biodiversity of Nanterre Coeur Université is expressed through a mosaic of ecosystems that contribute to the wellbeing of the neighborhood, based on several key elements:

• The multiplication of planted surfaces on all available surfaces (RER roof slab, roof terraces, heart of blocks, facades), symbolizing different ecosystems (tundra on the roofs, forest environment in the heart of blocks)
• Water management in order to optimize rainwater recovery by planting low-maintenance vegetation on the roof terraces
• The creation of shared gardens within the green slab on the RER A in co-design with the residents. The purpose of these gardens is to make residents aware of their environment and to teach them maintenance and gardening techniques through thematic workshops organized by landscape gardeners.

It is also the first dual Smart Grid® eco-neighborhood in France, designed by Dalkia Smart Building, which offers a thermal and an electrical loop to power the eco-neighborhood. The network is thermally and electrically intelligent (digital control of the system for perfect optimization). For an even more virtuous network, the electricity produced is 100% self-consumed with zero energy waste. In addition to this local energy production, the buildings have been designed to ensure low energy consumption: the offices aim for a BEPOS level (GreenOffice).

The artistic approach "Heart of the site"

To accompany the dynamics of change in the Nanterre Coeur Université eco-district, an original artistic initiative has been implemented.

Initiated in October 2015 and carried by Cultiverlaville, the artistic laboratory is a partnership project that brings together the City of Nanterre, local actors and residents, UrbanEra® - Bouygues Immobilier and Paris La Défense.

It has associated different modes of artistic expression and combined professional and amateur talents through an unprecedented participatory approach involving local actors and residents to encourage a progressive appropriation of this urban transformation. Thus, throughout the project, ephemeral or permanent artistic works were invited in situ by associating the inhabitants to their selection or to their creation process.

Find on this link the interactive book of the artistic process Coeur de Chantier and the artists' works: https://www.urbanera.fr/art_ville_nanterre/