Town Center Gets a Major Upgrade Sparking an Urban Regeneration

Restructuring of Town Center and the District of La Fonderie, by Urbicus, in Inzinzac-Lochrist, France. The ability to bring together the elements of nature and those belonging to the urban world is one of the greatest gifts that landscape architecture has to offer. So many of the projects that bear the trademark signature of a reputable landscape architect are characterized by this blend. On the one hand, nature is brought closer to the people, its elements allowing for the natural soothing that one always yearns for. On the other hand, the urban elements allow for the exploration of nature. THIS PROJECT FOCUSES on the restructuring of Inzinzac-Lochrist’s town center, commissioned by the officials of the city. Completed in 2010 and covering an area of 40,000 square meters, the project demonstrates that nature can always be integrated within the urban atmosphere. A second part of the project concerns the renovation of the district of La Fonderie, with the talented team at Urbicus working just as hard to implement the elements of nature into a space that clearly needed such an influence.

Recommended Reading:

• Urban Design  by Alex Krieger
• The Urban Design Handbook: Techniques and Working Methods (Second Edition) by Urban Design Associates

Successful Rejuvenation Project with Amazing Back Story

Sometimes, it takes years of decay for a certain space to draw the attention of the right people. Going back in time, it was the decay of the forge in the area that led to the growth of brownfields at the end of the 1960s. The passing of time only managed to lead to the appearance of an exceptional site by the water.

Selecting The Right Team 

When the municipality of Inzinzac-Lochrist commissioned the creative brains at Urbicus to work on the project, it was clear that it was motivated by a strong historical and geographical backdrop. The idea behind the project was to reconcile the center of the city with the river, which was explored to the fullest by the landscape architects. It was through their talent and dedication that the local community was offered access to a rejuvenated space. The new arrangements included an incredible variety of accommodations, not to mention a diversity of leisure equipment. See More Great Projects From Urbicus:

• The Leisure Center at Madine: The $14.5 Million Investment in Ecology and Tourism
• Facing Environmental Problems at Thalie Park and Solving it with Landscape Design
• How to Make an Unnatural Space Feel Like a Natural Park

Layered Elements Blended with a Careful Selection of Vegetation

When working on a project, landscape architects always take into consideration the end users of a space. While you, the “end user”, might perceive the elements included within a certain space to be chosen upon the inspiration of the moment, things are not exactly like that. As it is clearly depicted through this rejuvenation project, all elements chosen for a space have been given careful consideration.

ELEMENTS OF WOOD, GRAVEL, AND STONE came together in order to create layers and create a unique urban atmosphere. The choice of vegetation was not random, either – all of the plants and trees that have been included in the project are suited to the soil in the area. The geometrical symmetry of the elements of vegetation adds a unique touch to the redesigned area, demonstrating how much of an influence mathematics plays over the world of landscape architecture.

High Level of Space Usability: Mission Accomplished

When dealing with any project (and especially those that concern the rejuvenation or restructuring process), landscape architects have to cover two essential aspects – the aesthetics and the usability of a space. While creativity stands behind choosing the elements that are visually pleasing, when it comes to the concept of usability things are not as easy.

A Story of Success

This project shows that one can guarantee a high level of usability for any space. With walking paths filled with vegetation and urban elements such as banks that add utility, this rejuvenation project is a story of success. It shows that it is possible to make a space beautiful and usable at the same time. But it also suggests, in a subtle manner, how much work actually goes into a landscape architecture project. The people who work on such projects are not only creative minds, but also specialists in envisioning the future of any space, together with the end users.

How Has the Local Community Benefited from the Newly Designed Space?

While this may sound obvious, the restructuring of the town center, as well as the one involving the district of La Fonderie, encouraged the development of local businesses. This just goes to prove, once more, that landscape architecture projects have the great power of increasing the level of sustainability in a specific area. The question that you have to provide an answer for is this: Why does it take so long before certain spaces receive the attention they clearly deserve?

Full Project Credits For The Restructuring of town center and the district of La Fonderie

Project: Restructuring of town center and the district of La Fonderie Project Name: Town Center “On the Edge” Location: Inzinzac-Lochrist, France Client: City of Inzinzac-Lochrist Contractor Agent: Urbicus/Jean-Marc Gaulier Team: Olivia Samit, Nicholas Renard, Yuli Atanassov Co-contractor: Artelia Project Completion: 2010 Area: 40,000 m2 Budget: € 3.200.000 HT Recommended Reading:

• Urban Design  by Alex Krieger
• The Urban Design Handbook: Techniques and Working Methods (Second Edition) by Urban Design Associates

Article by Alexandra Antipa Return to Homepage

Published in Blog