Explora, 54 collective housing units and hotel, Saint-Malo

One of the project’s key goals is to enable as many people as possible to live and work in Saint-Malo. Here, in Lot ZA3, we will see a variety of housing options and hotels, low-income housing (LLS), social housing (BRS), and private housing ranging from one-bedroom to six-bedroom units. This mix creates genuine diversity at the block level, and we believe we can draw on our experience here to design a project in Pornichet that successfully combines housing for seniors with housing for young professionals.

The architecture envisioned for the buildings in both sectors will be a reinterpretation of Saint-Malo’s traditional architectural style, drawing inspiration from the summer residences built by merchants and shipowners in Saint-Malo during the 17th and 18th centuries.

With a focus on sustainable and resource-efficient design, the project is largely constructed using local and bio-based materials. The facades are made of Bio’bric terracotta bricks, and the insulation consists of wood fiber. The selected materials include lime plaster and low-carbon concrete, while the roofs feature wooden shingles and white-glazed 301 flat tiles. The project has thus been awarded the “Bâtiment Biosourcé” label.

The project demonstrates a strong sensitivity to the existing environment and strives to blend seamlessly into the surrounding urban fabric. Flanked to the north and south by a residential neighborhood, the building’s varying heights are designed to harmonize with the surrounding building scales. The goal is to create a gradual transition to establish urban continuity with the existing urban fabric.