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Green Houses

Concept of habitable greenhouses.

In 2016, the Bordeaux Metropolitan Authority launched the UrbaLab call for ideas, driven by a strong ambition: to imagine new ways of shaping the city through innovative solutions.

We rose to this challenge with a bold idea: transforming the greenhouse into a living space. More than a winter garden, it becomes the heart of the project—a place where architecture and nature coexist in harmony.

Our concept is based on a bioclimatic approach: a metal structure forms the greenhouse, a protective and transparent envelope within which a prefabricated wooden module is inserted, following the ‘box within a box’ principle. This configuration creates a tempered and adaptable volume, where the living space opens onto the greenhouse, a true extension of the dwelling. Designed to support the cultivation of a productive vegetable garden, it promotes food self-sufficiency and enriches everyday uses.

From a technical standpoint, the greenhouse incorporates intelligent climate-regulation systems: automated sliding shades and motorized openings adjust in real time to thermal variations, ensuring optimal comfort throughout the year. This synergy between design and environmental engineering transforms the greenhouse into a fully-fledged living space—durable and inspiring.

Client : Bordeaux Metropolitan Area

Date : 2016

Key points

Modularity.
Shared garden.
Clear and separate circulation between living spaces.
Optimized shared spaces.

Environmental perfomances

HQE certification: compliant with RT 2012.
Participation in the ‘ADEME Innovation’ competition.
Natural ventilation.
Photovoltaic panels.
Stormwater collection.
Concrete/wood partition wall providing excellent thermal mass.

Intentions – Design approach

The concept unfolds within an urban or peri-urban context, where greenhouses lining the street are arranged in succession, combining housing and production spaces.

Set back and sheltered within the tempered volume, the intimate living areas are embedded in a sober and adaptable architecture that evolves with changing uses, thereby allowing the greenhouse floor to take on a predominant role. This space, conceived as an extension of the dwelling, is then used for the cultivation of a generous and productive kitchen garden, yielding fruits and vegetables.

The intimate living spaces are embedded within a sober and adaptable architecture, leaving a predominant role for the cultivation of a kitchen garden.

Team

Patriarche (Architecture, General Engineering, Environmental Quality, Cost Consulting, BIM, Wayfinding)

Credits

Program

Residential

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