Christophe Hutin Architecture

Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation

Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation

Christophe Hutin architecture

Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault

ARCHITECTS
Christophe Hutin architecture

LEAD ARCHITECT
Christophe Hutin

DESIGN TEAM
Marion Howa, Antoine Mounier, Fabian Pic, Kloé Yannovitch, Zoé Baurens

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Cyrille Marlin

STRUCTURAL
CESMA, Germain Étude Structure

MEP
S.O.I.T., 180Degrés

OTHER
Idéïa, Atlantic-Ing

QUANTITY SURVEYING
VPEAS

GENERAL CONSTRUCTING
Bouygues Bâtiment

PHOTOGRAPHS
Philippe Ruault

AREA
7565 m²

YEAR
2025

LOCATION
Mérignac, France

CATEGORY
Residential Architecture, Refurbishment

Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault

English description provided by the architects.

Built at the end of the 60s on the model of post-war emergency and transit housing, the Beutre housing estates carry with them the history of their inhabitants.

Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault

To live there with dignity, they went beyond their status as precarious occupants and took charge of improving their housing conditions.

They maintained, embellished, and expanded. They created the vegetable gardens they needed.

Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault

Over a period of almost fifty years, they transformed the precariousness and relegation to which they were subjected into the ability to act on their housing.

A classic demolition and reconstruction operation was out of the question. The agency, attentive to "communities at work", set out to capture and respect the history of the site and its inhabitants.

Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault

It moved into the heart of the city to develop a working method based on investigation, listening, and negotiation. She set up a transformation process.

The houses were stripped of asbestos, roofs and insulation were redone, prefabricated extensions containing sanitary facilities, technical rooms and entrances were added to each dwelling, dining rooms were opened onto the gardens…

Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault

Soils were desilted and planted, and parking and access areas were rebuilt. A 12.8 million euro project completed in 14 months, without the tenants having to leave their homes.

The aim was to create a non-invasive architecture that would not degrade the existing building, but would still provide the greatest possible future freedom for residents.

Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault

Beutre isn't a project with a beginning and an end, but rather an initiative rooted in a long history. It's new housing built from an old heritage.

It's not so much a demonstration of the building itself as it is a human experience. It's best understood inside the houses, by talking with the residents.

Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault


Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault


Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
© Philippe Ruault


Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
Axonometry - Before and After
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
Axonometry - Site
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
Diagram - Site Plan
Beutre Housing Estates Rehabilitation
Axonometry

Christophe Hutin Architecture
T +33 5 56793037
Christophe Hutin Architecture
29 Rue de l'École Normale, 33200 Bordeaux, France