Bordeaux: Covivio and Clairsienne inaugurate the first block of the Noème residential program

Covivio, European real estate operator, continues to reposition some of its office assets by redeveloping them into residential units. Present in the Bordeaux metropolitan area for over 20 years, the group has been transforming a former IBM office site on the banks of Bordeaux lake into a new 46,500 m² residential district called Noème since 2020. Clairsienne, social housing company, a subsidiary of the Action Logement group, has acquired 241 units under a VEFA contract (sale in future state of completion), offering apartments for social rental, intermediate rental and social home ownership in this attractive area, close to the Ginko district and its local services.
Today, Covivio and Clairsienne are inaugurating the first block, comprising 11 buildings and a total of 199 homes.

First block of 199 homes delivered

Last October, Covivio completed the first block in this new residential district, comprising 11 buildings and a total of 199 homes. Clairsienne has acquired 139 homes in this first block to meet the needs of the area, with 56 social rental units, 53 intermediate rental units and 30 social housing units under “Bail Réel Solidaire”. Covivio is in process of selling the remaining 60 units to private individuals (45 of which have already been sold).
The block features a 2-level parking lot, 2 shops and various common spaces, including a shared furnished studio (urban gîte), a common versatile space and kitchen, a greenhouse, as well as numerous green and landscaped areas (1,000 m² of open ground and 95 trees).

A former industrial site transformed into waterfront housing

Acquired by Covivio in 2004, this 35,800 m² former tertiary site was previously occupied by IBM. Located on the shores of lake of Bordeaux, it is currently undergoing a metamorphosis to become a new residential district of 46,500 m² and 700 housing units, divided into 6 blocks. Designed by a consortium of 9 architectural firms and 1 landscape architect (BLP & Associés, NADAU Architecture, COBE Architecture et Paysage, LandScale Architecture, Jean-Pierre Buffi / SQUAD Architectes, TANK Architectes, Maud Caubet Architectes, Flint, LETSGROW), under the coordination of urban planner BLP, it will offer a rich and complete program with different housing modes: an intergenerational residence, a coliving residence, “family” housing and two inclusive houses.

Noème will also stand out for the diversity of its uses, with numerous communal spaces and over 3,500 m² of services to promote community living: cooperative grocery store, restaurant, coworking space, planted areas and boules pitch, shared vegetable garden and greenhouse, bicycle repair workshop, crèche… all with a focus on soft mobility, with bicycle storage facilities and a car-free core area.

A project with strong environmental ambitions

Sustainable development is at the heart of the project, with the use of low-carbon concrete and the reuse of demolition materials for roadworks. The project also benefits from a virtuous heating system, with a connection to the urban heating network, 80% of which is supplied by renewable energies. The project is part of a controlled artificialization approach and promotes biodiversity by giving nature a central role, with 33,000 m² of green spaces, of which more than 35% is open ground, and the planting of 95 trees and shrubs in this first phase of the project. On completion, Noème will feature around 240 trees and native plants. Finally, the first two blocks to be delivered will be RT2012 -20% certified, with IntAIRieur and E2C1 labels.

Clairsienne’s first intermediary rental housing project

As part of the Action Logement Group’s Call for Expressions of Interest, launched in 2023, for the purchase of 30,000 housing units to support players in the housing sector and maintain a supply of affordable housing in local areas, Clairsienne committed to acquiring 53 additional intermediate housing units from Covivio in the Noème project.

Intermediate rental housing (LLI in French) is designed for people whose income exceeds the income levels required for access to social housing, but is too low to be easily accommodated in the private sector. The LLI rents applied by Clairsienne are at least 10% below market rates. Intermediate housing meets the needs of employees and key workers who want to live as close as possible to their place of work and local services (shops, transport, schools, etc.).