Hérault Arnod Architectures, a French practice with extensive experience in public and residential projects, has completed Paysage Habité - Résidence Harmonie in Rueil-Malmaison — a 92-home collective housing building in the Grand Paris region.
Hérault Arnod Architectures' vision deliberately incorporates qualities typically associated with single-family houses — including private gardens, individual front doors, and generous outdoor spaces — into the design of the collective housing building. This direction stemmed from the observation that a large majority of French citizens prefer houses over apartments.
The Paysage Habité - Résidence Harmonie takes the form of a wide ring wrapped around a shared garden, with deliberately shallow floor plates that give every home a dual aspect and quick access to both the street and the central green space.
Image Credit: Florian Bouziges
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- House-like Apartments
- Collective housing that integrates private gardens, individual entries, and spacious outdoor areas creates room for premium multifamily concepts that feel closer to detached homes.
- Courtyard-centered Living
- Shared central gardens in dense residential buildings point to new real estate models where wellness, community, and access to nature become core value drivers.
- Dual-aspect Housing
- Shallow floor plates that provide light, ventilation, and two-sided views support differentiated apartment designs focused on comfort, sustainability, and livability.
Sectors Adopting This
- Residential Real Estate
- Developers can differentiate urban housing portfolios through apartment formats that respond to consumer preference for privacy, greenery, and house-like features.
- Architecture and Design
- Design studios are positioned to redefine collective housing by blending suburban residential qualities with the efficiency and density of multifamily buildings.
- Urban Planning
- Municipal housing strategies may increasingly favor dense developments that preserve access to outdoor space, social connection, and neighborhood-scale livability.
