L’Île-Saint-Denis

Left industrial plants and warehouses, a partly contaminated wasteland of 22 hectares: the friche Michels was a sad desert in the Parisian periphery. Now the area on the Saint-Denis island in the Seine has been recultivated. A new eco quarter with 165 low energy houses tries to repair the damage done by industrial use.

The quarter is consinstently built with sustainability and low energy consumption in mind. Each project deals with a current problem in sustainable construction. For the façades, for example, the designers developed a new recycling concept. Webnet is a part of the sustainability strategy of the housing. The stainless steel net is a fall prevention on the balconies and at the same time a support for climbing plants.

The façade greening with Webnet creates more green in the city. Its positive effects are not restricted to better looks, but also have positive effects on many aspects of the buildings’ ecobalance. The greening increases biodiversity and provides a habitat for animals, mainly insects and birds, and plants. It protects the façade from weather and UV light and increases the durability of the façade. The greening also improves the energy balance of the building: in summer it provides shadow and evaporative cooling, in winter it insulates the building. The lead architectural office for this project is Philippon-Kalt Architectes Urbanistes.