Coteau Saint Barbe is a smart and beautiful ‘stitch’ of the urban and the natural. It offers the link between the two and also effectively uses water dynamics from higher up the slope. With a simple gesture it adds an immense value to the living outdoors at Coteau Saint Barbe.
- from the award statements
This new building complex in Namur nestles in a green slope of the Ardennes. It is this imposing green background that became the starting point for designing the landscaping.
The robust greenery was extended to the building and to the street. Close to the building, the plantation becomes denser and more detailed, while further up the slope the plants are spread out more, which creates a more natural aspect. The use of the garden is integrated in this profile. The patios leading out from the housing units are sculpted in the slope. Local blue limestone was used to build the boundary walls. Stairs start up the hill from there. A transverse axis leads through the garden or to a higher lawn along the “wadi”. This channel collects the spring water from the rock wall, allowing it to infiltrate into the soil. This ensures the project is highly integrated with its surroundings, creating a viable concept, at one with the landscape.
Project location: Namur, Belgium
Design year: 2015
Year Built: 2016
