Paysage Habité – Résidence Harmonie: An Inclusive Vision of Collective Living

Located a few miles from downtown Paris, the Paysage Habité–Résidence Harmonie residential complex responds to a clear statistic: 80% of French citizens prefer living in a house rather than an apartment. Against that background, the architects set out to make multifamily housing more attractive by integrating qualities typical of single-family living, such as large outdoor areas, transition spaces, and shared amenity spaces. With this design, Hérault Arnod Architectures has overturned traditional models with an open building that prioritizes relationships between residents, the community, and the landscape.

Housing diversity, architectural unity

The 92-unit project is located in Arsenal, a district rich in industrial history that is now undergoing a comprehensive urban transformation. Formerly an industrial zone used by the armaments industry and, later, Renault, the neighborhood is becoming a test case for contemporary urban design, where density, micromobility, and housing quality coexist.

Subsidized housing, below-market-rate units, and market-rate units coexist in the same complex, with separate points of entry but a unified architectural language. While programmatic separation exists, it is intentionally invisible to present an inclusive vision of collective housing.

A large double-height entrance serves as a generous urban threshold, functioning more like a covered plaza than a simple entryway. This is where many common amenities are clustered, from mailboxes to a multipurpose room conceived as an interface between neighborhood life and the residence.

Organized around a stormwater retention basin, the courtyard is not merely decorative but performs both a microclimatic role and serves as a circulation space where residents meet. 

Large, glazed landings include outlets for e-bike charging, addressing a real need for both security and convenience. Micromobility is not relegated to leftover spaces but is integrated into daily circulation areas, becoming part of the residents’ lifestyle.

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Paysage Habité – Résidence Harmonie: Practical, responsive architecture

The project includes a wide range of unit types, all of which have the same spatial characteristics. Measuring up to 20 m², the balconies or terraces act as extensions of the living spaces. For the market-rate units, the traditional storage units have been rethought and replaced with additional storage rooms near the terraces.

Architecturally, the project utilizes simple, efficient solutions, including a modular concrete structure, an underground garage, and precast concrete façades with customized formwork patterns. The materials reflect a focus on durability and understatement, while the use of unpainted wood window frames and bio-based internal insulation underscores the project’s commitment to sustainability.

The herringbone-pattern loggias create a dynamic rhythm of solids and voids, adding depth to the façades and ensuring a constant relationship between interior and exterior. Crowning the building, planted roof terraces of native species form elevated gardens reserved for top-floor residents.
 

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