Clermont Ferrand

Two bands of buildings along the southern and eastern edges of the site house a new school, new small-scale shops and new housing. At ground level, service yards, storage and car parks are concealed beneath a raised landscape bank. Above those are residential blocks, with views across the central meadow to the dramatic vista beyond.

The proposed housing is a combination of affordable housing and larger apartments, in a series of scattered towers overlooking the central meadow.  Schools, shops and small scale business and creative industry units face the perimeter of the site, with pathways and vehicle access at times breaking through into the central landscaped area.

The central section of the site is landscaped, tilting the public space towards the West, and raising the residential accommodation to ensure the maximum visual connection towards the Chaine des Puys ; a ’nod’ to the vista within a predominantly low-rise, level urban industrial area.  The crater-like landscaping creates a gently sloping amphitheatre setting for family activities and relaxation, with reference to the surrounding volcanic landscape of craters, cones and land forms created from lava-flow.

The large region of open space, planned as a mixture of meadow, forest garden and formal landscaping, supports biodiversity and creates attractive spaces for rest and gathering.