Urban design of Sablassou – Clos de l’Armet 
 Castelnau-le-Lez/Montpellier 

Operational urban design project for one of the last area of extensions of the Montpellier SCoT. Structure and create a limit to the urban sprawl of the eastern outskirts of Montpellier - project labeled Ecocité. Creation of the urban project, a first ZAC with associated impact studies, the programming of the multimodal exchange hub, a campus dedicated to the regional gerontological hub and an urban park.

In a context of unbridled urban growth, how to "finish the city" without giving in to urban sprawl? Montpellier is a typical example in this regard: after years of letting go of a diffuse city, the SCoT (Reichen-2007) has designated the site of Sablassou in Castelnau-le-Lez, on the outskirts of Montpellier, as one of the demonstration sites.
The project is based on an innovative program: a cluster dedicated to aging, including two hospital units. He uses the site’s weaknesses to turn them into opportunities. It thus reinforces intermodality (railway station, exchange centre, new tram line, cycle paths). At the same time, it is protecting a nature in the making (as opposed to the intensive agriculture already in place) within a campus housing hospital units, research centers, equipment and services related to old age.

The development strategy proposes gradual urbanization along existing roads with appropriate densities. It allows the project to be adjusted to the vagaries of the program (ultimately about 700,000 m2 of SdP). It integrates from the outset the challenges of climate change through ambitious management of the water cycle and strengthening of biodiversity. An expressive project based on the sensitive qualities of the place.