LaVallée: An Eco-District in Châtenay-Malabry

The vision behind the LaVallée eco-district was to create a place where a community can thrive among abundant greenery. Located in Châtenay-Malabry, a commune in the Hauts-de-Seine department of the Île-de-France region, the project embodies a new vision of urban life in which residents benefit from an integrated mix of green spaces and community services within a sustainable framework.

The site became available after the relocation of École Centrale Paris. The local government saw an opportunity to redevelop the area as an accessible eco-district, naming it after the founder of the university, Alphonse LaVallée.

The project therefore builds on the historic site of the Parisian engineering university overlooking the Parc de Sceaux. The masterplan for the area includes 2200 residential units (of which 372 are affordable housing), 36,500 m² of office space, 15,000 m² of retail space, schools, a preschool, gym, parking facilities, and extensive public and private green spaces.

Eco-district LaVallée: upgrading the local area

Lot G, designed by Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia, comprises several new buildings with a total of 158 homes – including 36 affordable units – and nearly 2000 m² of retail spaces and 140 parking spaces. The project grew from an in-depth analysis of the site’s development potential, which took into account the sense of place, solar access, and environmental constraints.

The intersection between the shopping street and the southern avenue gave rise to a monolithic structure with a hollowed-out core. This design not only minimizes the number of exclusively north-facing residences, but also creates a variety of orientations for all the units.

Through a series of strategic cuts, openings, and lateral shifts, the building masses have been modeled to integrate seamlessly with their surroundings. The volumetric decomposition follows two key principles: maintaining a continuous building line along the shopping street, and creating compact forms that foster visual openness while providing space for greenery along the tree-lined boulevard.

Particular attention was given to the configuration of the residential units to create angular living areas that offer multiple orientations for each apartment.

In the middle of the block, two buildings offer a diverse mix of housing types, while establishing a harmonious dialogue between the different project elements. This approach achieves a balance between solid masses and voids, establishing a linear visual corridor along the shopping street, enhanced permeability along the tree-lined boulevard, and a fluid connection with the surrounding blocks.

Community services and green spaces

Covering 20 hectares, the new LaVallée district goes beyond merely providing housing, to incorporate essential community services, such as schools, while allocating eight hectares exclusively to green areas. Residents therefore enjoy a vibrant, functional urban environment that fosters a sustainable lifestyle in close connection with nature.

Moreover, the creation of dedicated office spaces will contribute to the city’s economic development, positioning the eco-district as an attractive hub for businesses. Built with 50% renewable energy and recycled materials, LaVallée is a prime example of sustainable architecture, embodying a commitment to protecting the environment while enhancing its residents’ quality of life.

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