Béthune Résidence Universitaire
The goal of this study was to redefine the character of the neighborhood, near a university, through the injection of new functions on the interiors of the blocks.
One Architecture’s answer consisted of a series of developments that restructure the eastern ring of the city, from the Rue de Lille to the train station. One proposed to take this action in an explicit fashion, along an ecological axis formed by a pedestrian and cycling path running along a wadi.
The lot in itself is thought of as an urban park where the green prevails. This breathing space in the urban fabric, however, does not take place to the detriment of density. The site becomes an urban space that brings quietness and lively student activities together.
In this new set-up, where the built volumes define the edges and frame a central park, cars are also taken into account, not as a residual factor but as a defining component. Parking spaces are an integral part of the global development scheme.
