In the Bastide Niel district of Bordeaux, construction of the La Vallée Verte housing development, designed by MVRDV, has been completed. The development comprises a total of 70 flats and is characterised by a circular courtyard, lushly planted with greenery, hidden within the block.
La Vallée Verte on the site of former industrial and military buildings
La Vallée Verte is situated on the right bank of the Garonne, in the developing Bastide Niel district. The area is undergoing a transformation from a former industrial and military zone into a new residential estate. The urban design concept developed by MVRDV has preserved the historic spatial layout and existing buildings, complementing them with a network of narrow streets that provide shade and foster an intimate atmosphere. The buildings’ unusual forms result from the use of a design method known as ‘suncuts’. Thanks to the carefully shaped volumes, each building receives the right amount of sunlight throughout the year, without casting excessive shade on neighbouring buildings. The result is a landscape of roofs with irregular lines, which echoes the historic fabric of Bordeaux.
A circular garden hidden within the complex
The La Vallée Verte complex comprises three buildings situated on a triangular plot on the Quai des Queyries. From the street, the light-grey, tiled façades catch the eye, as does the understated design, which adheres to the principles adopted for the entire neighbourhood. Light-coloured materials help to minimise heat build-up during hot weather. However, a real surprise awaits upon entering the complex. At the heart of the development lies a circular courtyard, like a green valley. Vegetation climbs from ground level right up to the top floors, whilst planters containing shrubs, perennials and small trees have been placed beside the private loggias. The variety of species changes with height, creating a multi-layered landscape reminiscent of a natural ecosystem.
The gardener’s touch in the architecture
The designers ensured that the extensive greenery could be regularly maintained. Special passageways have been created in the walls between the balconies, allowing gardeners unrestricted access to all levels of the building. The openings and steel doors have been given the unusual shape of a human figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat, clearly evoking the image of a gardener. According to Winy Maas of MVRDV, the design builds on ideas present throughout Bastide Niel. Whilst the street layout ensures a sense of intimacy at neighbourhood level, here a similar effect has been achieved through a hidden garden. The courtyard functions as a separate, secluded world.
La Vallée Verte: homes for a variety of residents
The buildings feature units of varying sizes, ranging from flats for single people to larger apartments for families. On the ground floor of one of the buildings, there is also a nursery opening out onto green space. The entire Bastide Niel neighbourhood has been awarded the French EcoQuartier certification. La Vallée Verte is connected to the district heating network serving the area, whilst some of its electricity is supplied by photovoltaic panels. Water management issues also played a significant role. Permeable surfaces help to retain rainwater, whilst the ground-floor flats have been raised above ground level – this is for safety in the event of potential flooding of the Garonne. Parking spaces, meanwhile, have been located in the neighbouring building, which reduces the risk of flood damage and has helped to lower the project’s carbon footprint.
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design: MVRDV – Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries
design team: Antoine Muller, Nicolas Land, Charlotte Kientz, Kamile Malinauskaite,
Marie Saladin, Nils Christa, Sylvain Totaro, Mickael Pors, Davide Salamino, Javier
Cuenca Solana, Quentin Aubry, Karolina Szostkiewicz, Chiara Cappelluti, Erik Obando,
Gabrielle Evain, Sabin Andrei Zapareniuc, Céline Haghbin
photographs: Paul Lefevre and Matthieu Lecouvey
See also: Greenery| Ecology|MVRDV|Recommended|whiteMAD on Instagram
