Croix Nord

Year
2022

Client
Realtim II SPCP

Area
6’958m²

Location
Mont-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland

Category
Residential

Status
Competition

The Croix Nord site, well served by the major roads in the vicinity, is a strategic site in the western part of Mont-sur-Lausanne. The site has strong landscape features that create a variety of spatial and recreational opportunities in the neighborhood and thus presents a natural, living, seasonally changing setting with which the community can interact. The landscape and natural values of the area provide a strong and distinctive starting point for the architecture. Our vision is based on creating diverse living conditions with proximity to nature, well-being and a strong sense of community. Inspired by the existing site, the landscape elements shape the identity of the architecture and the entire North Cross neighborhood. The future residential neighborhood takes advantage of the level shift to be established on an accessible vegetated base that shelters vehicles, while respecting the requirements of the Neighborhood Plan. Aiming for a minimal footprint, the volumes propose an intermediate scale in the form of a stacked multi-family housing. The volumetry is cut, emptied and then grouped by identical and rational modules, articulated between the sectors in three hierarchical landscape moments from the most intimate to the most collective. The gaps between each apartment are shaped to create private outdoor spaces but always in visual contact between the housing and the street life. These spaces, combined with individual gardens or terraces, create privacy while offering the possibility of participating in community life and bringing greenery to all floors. The typologies are varied, allowing for flexible configurations, clearly oriented towards the landscape, giving the impression of living in nature. These volumetric variations articulate with each other and give each housing group a unique identity, reduce the scale of the building and encourage a sense of community among the residents.