The project is located between Rue Bulher and Rue Neppert in Mulhouse, in the Neppert Gardens ZAC (zone d’aménagement concerté, a joint public and private development area), which includes 59 social rental dwellings developed by SOMCO, with an approach in continuity with the Cité manifeste project. The aims of our intervention were primarily focused on the inhabitants’ quality of living. Firstly, we wanted to create dwellings with larger surface areas than typical standards, as well as offering additional and intermediate spaces with different characteristics compared to traditional rooms in individual houses. These spaces widen the diversity of uses and climatic atmospheres, also by developing outdoor spaces that extend the indoor rooms, thereby bringing this collective housing closer to the qualities of an individual house. Finally, we wanted to optimise the number of dwellings in relation to the plot capacity, developing an efficient project economy to allow the construction of the largest possible surfaces for housing. Some dwellings are duplex apartments.

The flats from T1 to T5 have a dual aspect: the south-east oriented living rooms open onto an intimate terrace that can be widely opened in summer and fully closed in winter. These winter gardens define a bioclimatic system with natural ventilation, allowing the avoidance of overheating and creating a buffer space in winter that takes advantage of the sun’s radiation. The terraces also offer an extra space in addition to the living rooms, much like a private garden. The building has a high performance in terms of energy efficiency, while the constructive system is mostly composed of industrialised elements. Satisfying requirements concerning respect for the environment, the energy-saving design concept fits into a sustainable development philosophy. 
(from the architects’ project description)