Boulevard Général Jacques

After a few years of precarious occupation – allowing for a precise inventory of all the materials – followed by a period of full-scale tests in the different types of flats, the building is now undergoing measured renovation as a pilot project in circular economy and reuse. A well-thought-out process enabling the verification of project hypotheses as the project progresses. The approach is based on K. Berghmans and B. Robles Hidalgo's formula ‘Maintenance as architecture’, asserting that instead of focusing on design and innovation, current architectural practice could be conceived as the maintenance and ‘care’ of existing buildings. This act of sobriety through the choice of targeted and thought-through interventions is an economic and environmental commitment.

Working within the limits of what is possible and analysing the existing qualities are at the heart of the thought process to limit incoming and outgoing materials. During the construction phase, the site acts as a platform for exchange: if the materials are not reused or diverted on-site, they are then sent to reuse channels and replaced by materials from similar circuits.