L’ilot Saint-Joseph

L’ilot Saint-Joseph, located next to a monumental church building of the same name, is another new step in the urban renewal of Roubaix. The ensemble of different residential buildings has been integrated into the surroundings by taking the scale of the houses in the neighborhood as a starting point for the architectural composition. The use of red brick, typical of the neighborhood, also creates cohesion. In addition, we have opened up the previously closed block by creating a communal green space that occupies a central place in the block and offers additional green sightlines from the surrounding streets.  We have succeeded in keeping the homes affordable for a number of specific target groups that often find themselves squeezed out of the housing market. To this end, a number of alternative forms of housing have been developed, aimed at students, first-time buyers, and divorced parents with young children.

The motto is sharing: the housing units are independent, but also share facilities. A large living room/kitchen, laundry room, playrooms, and study areas are examples of communal facilities that are accessible to all residents.

It is great that this project makes a positive contribution to Roubaix in several areas: more greenery in the city, renewal of the neighborhood without losing spatial cohesion, and expansion of the supply of affordable housing.