Tall & Urban News

La Serre, a 19-story mixed-use development, initiated construction with a symbolic tree-planting ceremony in the ZAC Léon Blum eco-district in Issy-les-Moulineaux. This collaborative venture involves MVRDV, landscape architect Alice Tricon, and developer OGIC, with the overarching goal of reshaping traditional apartment living by emphasizing biodiversity and integrating nature into urban spaces. 

The mixed-use complex, resembling a landscaped vertical village, encompasses 190 units, with 30 percent designated for social housing. The units, ranging from studios to four-bedroom apartments, are stacked atop ground-floor retail spaces within an open steel rack. This design allows each residence access to private balconies or terraces, forming a three-dimensional mosaic within the structure and enveloping the building in approximately 3,000 square meters of outdoor space. 

 Over 25 percent of the building’s inhabited area is dedicated to terraces and balconies, offering an average of 15 square meters of outdoor space per resident. Stairs and footbridges connect shared spaces, promoting active use of the garden and transforming La Serre’s green façade into a vertical promenade. 

The vertical garden features 150 plant species, 70 percent of which are native. Thoughtful consideration has been given to plant selection based on their height on the building and exposure to sun and wind. Measures to protect urban fauna include the incorporation of low-carbon materials and nesting boxes for local bird and bat species, showcasing La Serre's commitment to sustainability. 

Read more about the project at MVRDV