Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units

Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units

DREAM

Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner

ARCHITECTS
Dream

LEAD ARCHITECT
Stella Buisan

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Bollinger+grohmann

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION
Le Sommer

ACOUSTICS
Aida

CLIENT PUBLIC
Office Plaine Commune Habitat

COST CONSULTANT
Vpeas

PHOTOGRAPHS
Cyrille Weiner

AREA
2775 M²

YEAR
2025

LOCATION
France

CATEGORY
Social Housing, Residential

Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner

DREAM AGENCY TRANSFORMS A SITE STEEPED IN HISTORY

The architecture agency DREAM has just completed a socially impactful urban renewal project in Saint-Denis.

Located on Rue Fraizier and Rue du Landy, this new residential complex marks a major step in the revitalization of the neighborhood, 24 years after a tragic fire destroyed a dilapidated building.

Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner
Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner

As the first housing development under a French shared equity lease (BRS-Bail Réel Solidaire) to be delivered in Saint-Denis, the building combines architectural ambition with harmonious integration into the urban fabric.

REPAIRING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, REBUILDING SOCIAL TIES

On the night of February 1–2, 2001, a deadly fire ravaged an old, rundown building on Rue Fraizier, exposing precarious living conditions.

Exploited by slumlords, this building symbolized substandard housing and the urgent need for urban transformation.

Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner
Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner
Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner

Today, the neighborhood is undergoing regeneration toward greater inclusivity and well-being, more social diversity, and more green spaces. The residential complex delivered by DREAM embodies this renewed vision.

UNIQUE HOUSING UNITS - WITH 44 HOUSING UNITS

22 for social rental and 22 for social homeownership (BRS) - the project aims to translate the qualities of individual homes into collective housing, with a specific typology for each unit, most of which are walk-through and multi-oriented, with high-quality outdoor spaces.

Each unit complies with the new construction quality charter of Plaine Commune and was designed with particular attention to usage and orientation: they are bright, comfortable, and well-ventilated.

Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner
Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner
Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner

The units feature real entrance sequences with storage, kitchens with direct daylight that can be closed off if desired, and large panoramic windows. All living areas are connected to a balcony or, on the ground floor, to a garden.

OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION: A GRAPHIC AND LOW-CARBON DESIGN

The project's aesthetic is expressed through a rhythmic and graphic composition of volumes.

The alternating use of raw materials on the façades — wood and metal — combined with the fine lines of wooden sunshades and balcony undersides, softens the mass effect and creates a genuine visual lightness.

Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner
Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner
Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner

This interplay of materials and textures promotes a sensitive integration into its urban environment.

The building shape, resulting from a morphological and environmental analysis of the site, ensures optimal management of sunlight and shadow while offering a wide range of outdoor spaces.

For this mixed wood-concrete structure, prefabrication was a key lever for quality and construction coherence.

Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner
Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner

All timber-frame façades, incorporating metal cladding, wood joinery, and deflectors, were fully manufactured in the workshop, ensuring optimal execution quality and precise detailing.

The balconies, made of self-supporting wood-metal structures, were also entirely prefabricated. Resting on staggered beam structures, they integrate elegantly into the whole, refining the façade's silhouette.

A GREEN COURTYARD AND SHARED SPACES

The housing block features a generous garden visible through two passageway lobbies accessible from Rue du Landy and Rue Fraizier.

Nearly all the housing units benefit fully from this green lung. Moreover, the project places special emphasis on shared spaces, designed in collaboration with Plaine Commune Habitat to foster interaction and social diversity.

Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner
Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
© Cyrille Weiner

The spacious and welcoming entrance lobby encourages residents to pause and meet — it is a community space.

Rooftop gardens on each building provide areas for relaxation and social exchange. Through this project, the DREAM agency offers residents a reimagined, safe, and inclusive living environment.


Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
1st - 3rd Floor Plan
Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
4th Floor Plan
Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
Axonometry - Detail Facade and Balcony


Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
Site Plan
Saint-Denis 44 Housing Units
Axonometry - Apartment