AN EXPERIMENTAL HOUSING PROJECT TO LIVE TOGETHER
Utopia Housing Complex in Bruz, France
Champenois Architectes
Champenois Architectes have recently realized an intervention in the proximity of the Parc de La Herverie, near the urban center of Bruz, in the North-West of France. In the project of the new building in Bruz, the shared spaces are designed to foster social interaction between inhabitants and constitute the core of the intervention. The houses are placed on the perimeter, around a wide full-height atrium, covered by a glazed roof and crossed by suspended walkways, which make up a lively circulation network and connect housing units, creating an articulate indoor landscape with rich vegetation. The dynamic interaction between indoor and outdoor is allowed by the bottom part of the block having higher porosity: in the North, a wide opening directs the look toward the internal part of the volume, inviting to enter the atrium. At the same time, the atrium is the starting point of the suspended paths, which open interesting outlooks on the surrounding landscape.
