Grouping activities and paths around an equipped park
For the urban project of the centre of Beaulieu, a group was formed with the Urban Community, the town and the social landlord as the project ownership. This group began an urban study with an interactive approach associating every protagonist of the area. The conception process was developed in three states: Diagnosis, Definition of a program, Definition of an urban and architectural project.
By this approach, the team helped the project ownership to identify the stakes and the objectives of the site having talks with the population, inhabitants and socio-economic actors of the project. Based on this shared vision, a program and then a project were defined and proposed to the city council. At the end of this phase, a pre-operational study began in order to add urban, architectural and landscaped uses such as public spaces, facilities, houses, services and shops.
The idea is to bring a new centrality organizing footpaths and roads toward the park. This opened area gives a respiration in the site, proposing each kind of services all around (shops, bus station, social centre, commercial district). Families, young people, older persons and different part of the population can share this new space, in a co-visibility approach.
The public spaces are created with simple and resistant materials, giving importance to the design and details of each equipment. A distinction is made with a different material for some specific areas and especially for the entrances of houses. An important reflection has been done for the lighting, with some strategic points to light up and an optimization of lamps. Each space is characterized by a kind of lighting. It means that roads, footpaths, entrances and the centre of the park are not lighted up the same way.
This project tends to renovate not only the park but also the entire area of this part of Beaulieu. Around a new park, well equipped and multifunction, the inhabitants can share public spaces, regrouping activities, paths and services. A new image of this district is given by the project and the different typologies of houses.
