INSTITUETE OF SCIENCE

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE

URBAN HOUSING

ARCH 529

FINAL SUBMISSION

REASERCH TOPIC:

PUBLIC HOUSING IN FRANCE

CASE STUDY OF: THE NEMAUSUS HOUSING BY JEAN NOUVEL

STUDENT NAME: ASMAA SOKRAT

INSTRACTOR: DR.PROF. DENIZ CETIN

Spring 2020

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 ABSTRACT

social housing is, in France, housing whose construction benefits from public support, and
intended to house people with low resources. over time, the renters have become poorer than
they were. it is regulated both in terms of its funding ,as well as the provision of it contain,
development , construction, management and allocation of leased public housing as owned
social housing. (LOGEMENT SOCIAL, 2019) The aim of this paper is to compare between
two case studies from the same Architect, Jean Nouvel, in the same year,1987. It is discussing
the public housing authority. Furthermore, this urban solution which means a new way of
living, appeared just after the second world war. When, people start to immigrate from the
suburban to the urban areas, trying to catch a new style of living, taken the name of low-income
groups since they did not have enough skills. In our cases, Nemausus housing and Anselme
L'Hermet housing. Jean Nouvel is progressed a social housing, perhaps with a low price but
with a good quality. If we limited the quality as he said in many interviews: “a good house is a
big house”. So, how did he achieve his famous saying.

Keywords: affordable housing, industrial material, Jean Nouvel, housing policies in France.

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 INTRODUCTION

The solution to social dwellings has long been a difficult issue and a suspended account for
architects who use to solve large spaces and work with high budgets. Since the beginning of
the twentieth century with the expansion of cities due to the strong increase in the number of
factories (from the Industrial Revolution), more homes should be noted. The deficit increased
as the population moved from the suburban areas to the cities, resulting in an urgent need for
collective housing and a lower cost. Cities were not prepared for this growth, and they lacked
the necessary infrastructure for this new situation. The lack of safe water, hygiene and
sanitation has led to widespread epidemics that have caused tragedy. This fact was repeated in
the designs of the times, and it will soon appear to the settlement proposals. Working class
provinces, with minimal housing standards repeated were the first response. (NEMAUSUS
HOUSING, n.d.) social housing is, in France, housing whose construction benefits from public
support, and intended to house people with low resources. over time, the renters have become
poorer than they were. it is regulated both in terms of its funding ,as well as the provision of it
contain, development , construction, management and allocation of leased public housing as
owned social housing. (LOGEMENT SOCIAL, 2019) The aim of this paper is to compare
between two case studies from the same Architect, Jean Nouvel, in the same year,1987. It is
discussing the public housing authority. Furthermore, this urban solution which means a new
way of living, appeared just after the second world war. When, people start to immigrate from
the suburban to the urban areas, trying to catch a new style of living, taken the name of low-
income groups since they did not have enough skills. In our cases, Jean Nouvel is progressed
a social housing, perhaps with a low price but with a good quality. If we limited the quality as
he said in many interviews: “a good house is a big house”. So, how did he achieve his famous
saying.

1.1. A brief look to the history of social housing associations in france

The advanced communal housing in France was constructed by cooperative
owners and volunteers during the modernization of the economic revolution. It got a legal
basis from the state by 1894,1908 and1912. It become now reachable by many
organizations. The oldest are known as HLMs which emerge from HBMs. These are the
approaching peer to dwellings associations within the UK. They seperate into ‘Public

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HLMs’ regulated by municipalities and ‘Private HLMs’ which are profitless
companies and typically have a mix between personal and municipal contributers. (Dave,
2015, p. 77)

Under the same legislation, SEMs working and nominated as a collaboration between
private compagnies and municipalities. Furthermore, secondary actors include public
sector organizations that allow their members, and dwellings cooperatives. public housing
associations are expressed nationally by the USH. 6 In 2005 Public HLMs provided 18%
of the tenanted housing in France, Private HLMs had 15% and SEMs another 10%.(ibid,
p. 77)

Therefore, Jean Nouvel’s public housing, Nemausus, is constructed by HLM association.

Let’s have a near look about this kind of housing.

1.2. Case study of Nemausus

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Figure1:Picture of the outside of Nemausus from the street.

Nimes may be a French city placed within the south near the Mediterranean Sea. The city
was famous by the rest of Roman time, and has various dwellings, aqueducts,
amphitheatres, and perfectly defended. (NEMAUSUS HOUSING, n.d.)

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(Lenn, 2012)

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2
Figure2: A MASTER PLAN OF NEMAUSUS BUILDING

The climate in the city was just amazing as one of the area features in huge part of the
year. Its population usually have the routine of living distant from home, profiting of the
public space. Considering that France belong to the “first world”, which suggests that its
quota of lack and deprivation is bellower a lot than the opposite sub-development and
development country . Joblessness and lodging lack could likewise be a lesser wickedness,
however something existing. In such countries, the principal normal is that the public
housing area point to a low-salary populaces or understudies with little spending plan.
Nouvel and therefore the civic chairman of Nimes knew about a past rivalry held for the
structure of the Municipality of the town. The feeling that the government official was the
planner was great, particularly for information on it being his own nation. In this manner
it had been for the occasion of this set, the civic chairman gave him the "full power" to
empower it to create. (NEMAUSUS HOUSING, n.d.)

1.2.1. The concept:

The complex housing Nemausus the test was a lot more prominent than basically explaining a
whole. The objective was to entertain a community's requirements in stable transformation and
construct houses with low cost. In any case, the fundamental idea sets from the need to

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(Hisao Suzuki,Jean Derwig, Olivier Boissiere, 2017)

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characterize a small cost apartment. During this quest, excellent apartment Jean Nouvel defined
as merely an apartment as large as possible. An honest apartment is flexible, ready to convert—
a realistic cheap apartment during common sense. Mimicking the way a number of the
buildings raised by the fashionable movement, Nouvel proposed that an equivalent of the
sector. To rationalize the utilization of land, located within the garage floor, half-buried,
following a municipal ordinance but also to the parking zone, doesn't limit the visual and from
the surface of the package. It also recomposes and reinterprets the thought of dragging the flag
that grows tall, with shared spaces.

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Figure3: The analysis of Nemausus to define the public and the private space.

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(Young, 2016)

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4
Figure4: The massing analysis of Nemausus.

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Figure5: The circulation analysis of the building.

4
(ibid, 2016)
5
(ibid, 2016)

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Figure6: social connectivity analysis.

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Figure7: A sketch to the back elevation of Nemausus.

Nouvel presents two structures practically equal stretch pontoon formed, one shorter than
the inverse. Between one half, they arranged park and public space that provides
proprietorship to the residents. They kept two portions of trees that, when shaped an
arboretum, and line the entire bundle. In Nemausus, the architect tries to reinforce the
world, arranging the maximum amount of light, take the progression of air, and issues for
the time appeared to be disparaged or dismissed. Nouvel arranged houses from the within
out, to prolong the inside and to provide more lebensraum. Currently, people living in
these buildings were very young. Actually, 80% have yet 35 years, and in this way, the
biggest has 51 years matured . of those individuals, 20% are jobless, 3% are laborers, 20%

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(Young, 2016)
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(NEMAUSUS HOUSING, n.d.)

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are workers, 31% of bourgeoisie/instructed, 19% understudies, and seven differen t
classifications. (NEMAUSUS HOUSING, n.d.)

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Figure8: A sketch of Nemausus housing from the top.

1.2.2. Space:

The two structures with stopping on ground floor semi-covered, and three upper floors of
appartements. Altogether there are 114 lodging units dispersed within the set, with
simple sorts of duplex and triplex (studios, one bedroom house with double height,
etc). the entire area is habitable 10.400m2, therefore the average of every dwelling is
91m2 (well beyond the normal public dwellings). additionally , each of those types gives
to each side of the box. Building access is through steps situated on the normal zone of the
half, isolated from each boat. they're integrated elevators cemented on the within of
everybody, right within the middle of them. Even disseminations are situated all through
the length of each volume, covering three stories. These movements are made by
techniques of "high street", with a substantial width to use it on foot or by bicycle, to work
normal space for communication among neighbors and extension of lodging .
(NEMAUSUS HOUSING, n.d.)

8
(ibid, n.d.)

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9
Figure9: The plan of Nemausus housing.

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Figure10: The circulation analysis inside the building.

9
(Hisao Suzuki,Jean Derwig, Olivier Boissiere, 2017)
10
(Young, 2016)

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Figure11: The types analysis of the same building.

At the other facade, which faces the road and neighboring structures, this is often repeated
a footbridge but during this case is employed privately practice for every unit. it's utilized
as a sole or gallery space spared. Towards all sides of those passages, the dividers are
opened outward, growing the limits of each home. But as Nouvel warrants, the set is
meant from the within out. With the only premise to make apartments with maximum
flexibility and sort of types during a modular fashion, it creates multiple possibilities and
combinationsHowever, to attempt to thus, and manufacture more space at an equal value,
utilizes a straight rationale, basic, and as straightforward as could reasonably be expected.
At long last, all endeavors to imitate the rest of the area through the materials utilized and
hence its stature. (NEMAUSUS HOUSING, n.d.)

11
(ibid, 2016)

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Figure12: A picture of the tallest building of Nemausus housing from the outside.

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(Hisao Suzuki,Jean Derwig, Olivier Boissiere, 2017)

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Figure13: Pictures taken from inside the building.

13 14

15

16

13
(ibid, 2017)
14
(ibid, 2017)
15
(ibid, 2017)
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(ibid, 2017)

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1.2.3. Structure

Again, so as to lower costs, the building structure was designed during a practical and
rational. the 2 buildings are supported a series of columns located after each five meters,
which border the parking lot . This choice follows the idea of permitting visual progression
on either side. Laying on these sections load-bearing dividers that separate every loft,
which are rehashed inside a similar route all through the three stories. This module
produces an equal route all through the structure, which joined with one another , make
varying sorts . Since the dividers of the payload stream on each side corbels to convey the
passage passageway and space-extending ass. For the heap on every one of them not very,
Nouvel represents a stabilizer framework. Ie, it produces a transverse structure, which can
hold the hand of a standard development, and hence the other the private yard of each
house, guaranteeing that both are adjusted. (NEMAUSUS HOUSING, n.d.)

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Figure14: The section is showing the structure of Nemausus.

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(Young, 2016)

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18

19

18
(ibid, 2016)
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(ibid, 2016)

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20
Figure20: The elevations of Nemausus housing.

The main exemption to the tweak of the dividers are arranged each 5 meters, is inside the
focal point of the nave, where it's seriously broken with two dividers to search out a shorter
separation, and there put the elevators.The steps are faraway from each building and have
a free steel structure. His reference to the flat stream is through extensions. again , through
this choice, win space for the residences inside the amount .Many of the typologies is
moreover a volume of an oval shape inside the middle, which is found during a latrine,
kitchen and a space for putting away . This space is moreover wont to find the vertical
development inside. (NEMAUSUS HOUSING, n.d.)

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(Hisao Suzuki,Jean Derwig, Olivier Boissiere, 2017)

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Figure21: The sections.

2. The materials:

The materials on Nemausus are given by this specific picture so radical. On the event of
setting aside cash, Nouvel thought about his work with industrial materials and pre -
assembled things simple replication and get together. Structure for working with columns
and walls with rough deny. In the face of the steps use of movement and precise
perforated sheet also as aluminum. For the autonomous structure of the means utilizing
rectangular steel areas, painted red and white stripes, accentuating the language business.
Utilized on the veneers and layered electrifies "enhanced with red lights like alarms . Vain
for a weapon modular repetition of windows and doors almost like those of the trains,
made the façade of every home. The distinction of this, past the picture arrangement, is
that the veneer of each house are regularly opened totally, and relate it to the surface .
Likewise, over and over these entryways are twofold stature, so everybody can break the
disgrace of vagrancy among four dividers, and open her loft as though it were a simple

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(Hisao Suzuki,Jean Derwig, Olivier Boissiere, 2017)

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shade. Inside the homes , steps and metal likewise are accounted for the different spaces .
Finally, each building is topped by horizontal visors on each side , which meant much of
the budget, but provide containment against the strong natural lighting within the area.
(NEMAUSUS HOUSING, n.d.)

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Figure23: A detailed plan from the housing.

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(Hisao Suzuki,Jean Derwig, Olivier Boissiere, 2017)

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 23 24

Figure25: The exterieur of Nemausus.

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(NEMAUSUS HOUSING, n.d.)
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(ibid, n.d.)

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 CONCLUSION

"Small housing has often been a symbol of oppression," said Nouvel, whose only fault here is
probably that he was ahead of his time. With Nemausus, he introduced an element of utopia
into a system that could only sabotage it. This is how rents were set based on the size of the
apartments. It doesn't matter that their construction price makes them accessible, in theory, to
all budgets: space is for the wealthy. (Richard Copans and Stan Neumann, 1998)

The main principles of the Nemausus project are tested here: 2 long vessels / buildings around
a central tree-lined courtyard, circulation and service of housing by external passageways in
order to free up interior space, duplex or triplex housing, more surface, less ornamentation, use
of raw materials with industrial resonance ...The projects is built in 1987. 1 (Roussel, 2017)

1985-2017: more than 30 years later, the experimental operation of the time has aged, yet
certain questions are still topical: surface area of the dwellings - remains to be lived, others
have appeared or have grown: sustainable development, maintenance and energy saving,
securing access and common areas… (ibid, 2017)

Nemausus will at least have had the merit of demonstrating that the question of well-being for
all, of everyone's right to live in a respectful and personal environment, is more a matter of
mentality than money.

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By analysing the previous project, we found that Jean Nouvel came with a new strategic of
affordable housing. He could offer a quality space in Nemausus housing with a low cost. He
was one of the architects who was interesting to housing is a wright for every single body. It is

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easy to solve a housing with hight budget, but a successful Architect should solve the dwellings
for no matter the situation is.

References

Dave, T. (2015). Housing policies in europe. M3 Housing.

Hisao Suzuki,Jean Derwig, Olivier Boissiere. (2017, march). Jean Nouvel Nemausus.
Retrieved from Atlas of places: www.atlasofplaces.com

Lenn, J. (2012, 11). Perfection of the five points. Retrieved from Contemporary European
Architecture: http://cea-seminar.blogspot.com/

LOGEMENT SOCIAL. (2019, 08 08). Retrieved from ministere de la cohesion des territoires
et des relations avec les collectivites territorials: https://www.cohesion-
territoires.gouv.fr/logement-social

NEMAUSUS HOUSING. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikiarquitectura:

https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/nemausus-housing

Richard Copans and Stan Neumann. (1998, aout 20). l'utopie HLM de Jean Nouvel . Retrieved
from Peripheries: https://www.peripheries.net/article270.html

Roussel, M. (2017, novembre 20). Novembre2017, et retour vers les annees 80. Retrieved from
metrologis:
https://www.metrologis.fr/actualites/2018/1/17/novembre2017etretourverslesannes80

Young, C. (2016, 12 2). Nemausus housing,Nimes, France. Retrieved from Prezi classic:
https://prezi.com/_t2bswhbkz68/nemausus-housing/

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