Background: Facing Bordeaux’s iconic 18th-century “stone city,” the Bastide Niel district introduces an unconventional urban form. Urban planner MVRDV, inspired by the principles of heliotropism and narrow grids, extends the vibrant urban life to the right bank of the Garonne River. The distinctive rooflines create striking contours of varied scales and inclined planes, defining the project’s innovative architectural style.
Main Challenge: Situated along Quai des Queyries, adjacent to Anjilik Park, the B09 Building Island comprises 54 social rental units. The primary challenge was to maintain seamless continuity between walls and roofs within a predefined volume while meeting residential needs, resulting in a cohesive and unified façade.
Rooted in Traditional Mineral Aesthetics: The material palette reflects a classic mineral aesthetic, featuring warm sand tones that recall Bordeaux’s historic architecture. The golden brick exterior walls blend seamlessly with the tiled roof, creating a unified structure. Window openings are scaled to human proportions, offering a warm and familiar atmosphere to residents.
Comfort and Functionality at Home: The design prioritizes resident comfort through thoughtful details such as carefully proportioned windows, railings, deep balconies, and subtle façade projections. The habitable roof, inspired by tropical styles, adds valuable living space. Opaque railings on windows and balconies ensure privacy, while integrated balcony storage cabinets enhance daily convenience.
Thoughtfully Designed Entrance Sequence: At the heart of the project is the “foyer,” a spacious open passage that connects residents to their homes. This transitional area bridges public and private spaces while creating a pedestrian-friendly route. To comply with flood control regulations, the ground floor is elevated above the base level, ensuring resilience against flooding.
Vision: The B09 project harmonizes aesthetic coherence with functional innovation to address modern urban challenges. It establishes a new standard for sustainable and inclusive housing by combining timeless materials, human-centered design, and efficient spatial planning.
Project Drawings
△ General layout plan
△ Floor plan view
△ Floor plan view
△ Elevation drawing
△ Sectional perspective
Project Information
Architects: Selva& Maugin Architectes, urbanmakers
Area: 3,875 m²
Year: 2024
Design Team: urbanmakers
Lead Designer: Antoine Motte
Architectural Firm: Selva& Maugin Architectes
Urban Planning: MVRDV
Location: Bordeaux, France
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