Novéo / TAA Bordeaux

Architects: TAA Bordeaux
Area: 13,688 m²
Year: 2026
Photography: Roland Halbe
Lead Architects: Lanoire et Courrian
Architects Team: Marinell Van Wyk (Associate Project Manager), Florine Andrault (Junior Project Manager), Paul de Lary (Project Manager Assistant)
Urban Planning Consultant: Nicolas Michelin & Associés
Materials: Metal cladding, rendered finishes, bio-based materials
Client: Bouygues Immobilier
Project Cost: €18 million
Project Completion: May 2026
Environmental Standards: NF Habitat HQE certification process, E3C1 performance target for Buildings B and C
City: Bordeaux
Country: France

Novéo is a residential development designed by Lanoire et Courrian in association with TAA Bordeaux, situated within the Bassins à Flot district of Bordeaux, France. Occupying Block A11 of the district’s master plan, the 13,688 m² project comprises two sub-blocks, A11a and A11b, linked by landscaped pedestrian routes. The development incorporates perimeter buildings, varied roof profiles, and shared green spaces to balance urban density with residential comfort. Its architectural composition features distinct volumes with dual-pitched roofs, metal cladding, and rendered façades, establishing visual diversity along the surrounding streets. Building heights are adjusted to improve sunlight access, while 65% of the residences benefit from dual-aspect or through-apartment configurations. The environmental strategy addresses energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and bio-based construction materials, supported by a connection to the Bassins à Flot district heating network. With a reported construction budget of €18 million and completion specified for May 2026, the project contributes to the district’s evolving residential fabric through an approach centered on connectivity, landscape integration, and sustainable development.

Novéo responds to the final stages of urban development in Bordeaux’s Bassins à Flot district, where an established neighborhood identity has begun to shape subsequent architectural interventions. Rather than introducing a development independent of its surroundings, the project considers the existing patterns of movement, public space, and built form. Its design prioritizes continuity with the neighborhood while creating a distinct residential environment within the former industrial waterfront area.

At the intersection of Cours Dupré-Saint-Maur and Rue Michel-Slitinsky, the development is part of the Bassins à Flot master plan, overseen by urban planning consultant Nicolas Michelin & Associés. The site is divided into two adjoining parcels separated by a landscaped pedestrian passage connecting Cours Dupré-Saint-Maur to the park behind the former submarine base. An additional pedestrian lane crosses sub-block A11b, extending circulation through the development and strengthening connections with neighboring public spaces.

The buildings follow the perimeter of the site, establishing continuous street frontages while leaving the center available for landscaped communal areas. Openings in the built frontage accommodate the internal pedestrian routes, allowing movement between the surrounding streets and green spaces. The arrangement also preserves an existing planned green corridor by removing previously proposed building volumes from that area. Within the block, a garden with natural, unpaved ground provides space for vegetation, while parking is concentrated in a landscaped, covered outdoor area to limit its impact on the shared environment.

The architectural composition is organized around the fragmentation of the building mass into distinct volumes. Each element is capped by a dual-pitched roof, with visible gable ends addressing both the streets and the neighboring park. This approach introduces variation into the roofline and reduces the perception of a single continuous building frontage. The resulting composition establishes a sequence of individual architectural elements while maintaining coherence across the development.

Building heights are carefully adjusted in response to surrounding structures and sunlight conditions. These variations create a gradual transition between neighboring buildings while supporting improved daylight access throughout the site. Residential layouts also reflect this consideration, with approximately 65% of the apartments designed as dual-aspect or through-apartments. The configuration provides openings on different sides of the dwellings, improving access to natural light and opportunities for cross-ventilation.

Material selection reinforces the differentiation between individual volumes. Metal cladding and rendered finishes introduce variations in texture and appearance, emphasizing the buildings’ separate identities. Together with the pitched roofs and changes in height, these treatments reduce the uniformity of the street elevations and contribute to an architectural language responsive to the district’s varied urban character.

Environmental considerations inform the design through a coordinated strategy addressing construction materials, energy consumption, and carbon emissions. The social housing component follows an NF Habitat HQE certification process, while the remaining buildings are subject to specific assessments concerning energy performance, embodied carbon, and the incorporation of bio-based materials. These measures are evaluated in relation to the project’s construction requirements and site constraints.

The energy strategy combines material and building-system selection with efforts to reduce operational demand and increase the use of renewable energy. Connection to the Bassins à Flot district heating network provides access to local energy resources and contributes to reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Additional energy and carbon studies establish the E3C1 rating as a performance objective for residential Buildings B and C.

Through its perimeter-based layout, pedestrian connections, varied building volumes, and integrated landscape, Novéo addresses the relationship between residential density and the quality of shared urban space. Its architectural and environmental strategies reflect the requirements of development within an already established neighborhood, contributing to the continued consolidation of Bassins à Flot as a connected residential district.