The Idésia project is a 10-storey residential building with a massive wood CLT structure. All 52 residential dwellings have at least one visible wooden wall, which creates a unique atmosphere of well being.

For this project of 3 638m² are made of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) by Stora Enso representing approximately 1300m³ of massive wood in the floors and walls.

The Idésia project in Saint Denis, France, completed and opened in 2021, is a remarkable example of sustainable timber construction. It showcases the innovative use of 1,300 cubic metres of prefabricated Sylva™ cross-laminated timber (CLT) Walls, Floors, and Roofs in modern architecture.

This 10-storey residential building, designed by the renowned Atelier WOA, features a mass timber structure with each of the 52 residential dwellings incorporating at least one visible wooden wall, enhancing the interiors' aesthetic appeal and creating a unique atmosphere of well-being and warmth for the residents.

Design

Characterised by a comb-like typology, the architecture of the Idésia project achieves strong verticality on Avenue Stalingrad with its R+9 structure. This design creates a distinctive urban element that stands out, expressing the district's urban consolidation and its connection with the rest of the city. A mineral base on the ground floor integrates the building into the city, accommodating residents' vehicles. Built on this concrete base, the fragmented buildings feature a solid wood CLT structure housing the residential units. These volumes interact with the park, defining the architectural identity of the project.

The housing units are organised around two vertical distribution cages (R+7 and R+9), naturally lit and ventilated. Residents benefit from outdoor spaces, including accessible and green balconies or terraces. The dwellings from T3 onwards are through or have a double orientation, allowing abundant natural light. Green spaces on all accessible terraces, with a height of 50 cm, enable plants to thrive, and residents can use these collective roof terraces for vegetable or ornamental gardens.

The design of the wood-metal balconies reinforces the project's architectonics and accentuates its verticality. The metal cladding façade leverages construction principles specific to wooden facades, with horizontal metal profiles emphasising each level and varying the cladding's appearance. The reflections and shadows created by the sun's rays animate the façade, signaling the entrance to the ZAC des Tartres.

Partnership

The collaboration with partners Woodeum x Pitch and Aux Charpentiers De France ensured the highest standards of construction and design, resulting in a building with a low carbon footprint and structural soundness. Woodeum x Pitch is a dynamic collaboration between two leading names in sustainable real estate development, Woodeum and Pitch Immo. Since their merger in January 2024, they have been at the forefront of promoting low-carbon construction projects across France.

The wooden structure, part of a responsible approach, results from a concerted effort between engineers and architects. It comprises facades and slats of prefabricated Sylva™ CLT Walls, Floors and Roofs, as well as glued laminated timber (GLT/Glulam) beams and columns braced by a concrete spine accommodating vertical circulation. All wooden elements are treated with encapsulation ensuring acoustic comfort and fire safety. Since this project, Stora Enso now offers a Sylva Service that can preapply Fire Resistant Lining in factory controlled conditions. Read more about this service here. 

Architects

Atelier WOA, founded in 2012 by Samuel Poutoux, Rémi Crozat, and Marc-Henri Maxit, is a Paris-based architectural firm dedicated to demonstrating how wood can be used to build differently and sustainably. The building's volume bridges the dense urban fabric and the surrounding landscape, enhancing the site's natural assets and highlighting its unique structure. The land is accessible via Avenue Stalingrad to the south, with the western edge bordered by a landscaped public space offering pedestrian access.

Awards

Certified with NF HQE logements, BBCA label, and Effinergie + label,

Learn more about

-the advantages with mass timber Download whitepaper (French version)

-building with prefabricated mass timber in Sylva Talks. (French subtitles available here).