Équipe Architecture adds zinc-clad extension to Paris social housing block

Located in the Paris 17th arrondissement, Pension de Famille des Apennins by Ce Qui Façonne Demain Architecture rethinks collective housing through intimacy, sustainability, and shared daily life. Conceived as a long term residence for people experiencing financial hardship, social isolation, or housing insecurity, the project combines private living spaces with communal areas designed to rebuild social connection.

The idea of permanence and belonging lies at the center of the project. As one resident describes it, “La Pension de famille is my home for as long as I wish.” Rather than approaching social housing as temporary accommodation, the architecture establishes a stable and dignified environment where collective life and personal autonomy coexist.

The residence contains 19 furnished independent flats arranged around a sequence of communal spaces opening onto a planted interior courtyard. Designed as an urban oasis within the dense Parisian fabric, the shaded garden introduces light, vegetation, and ventilation into the compact site while extending the social life of the building outdoors.

Shared facilities including a communal kitchen, living room, laundry area, and garden encourage informal interaction between residents and reinforce the project’s human scale atmosphere. The intentionally compact organization fosters proximity and visibility without sacrificing privacy, creating an environment where architecture quietly supports coexistence and mutual support.

The courtyard itself emerged through the demolition of a former building that previously occupied the entire plot. This intervention allowed the project to introduce a renatured open space into the block, generating what the architects describe as a genuine island of fresh air within the surrounding urban density.

The project combines economical construction methods with durable low impact materials carefully integrated into the Parisian streetscape. Solid stone sourced from the quarries of Vassens forms the primary exterior envelope, paired with a timber structural system and bio sourced wood fiber insulation that improves thermal performance while maintaining a warm material character.

Rather than relying on technological spectacle, the project approaches sustainability through durable materials, natural light, and simple spatial qualities that reinforce the dignity of everyday living.

Within the dense urban fabric of Paris, Pension de Famille des Apennins adopts a restrained domestic language rooted in care, collective life, and long term habitation. More than a housing project, it explores how architecture can strengthen social connection through shared space and everyday experience.

Project Credit

Project name: la Pension de famille des Apennins
Location: Paris, France
Design Firm: CQFD Architecture
Year: 2025-2026
Photo: Sergio Grazia / @sergio.grazia