Camille Claudel neighbourhoodPalaiseau, Saclay plateau (91)

On the Saclay plateau, a rigole runs alongside the site. Dug to carry water from the plateau’s ponds to the great fountains of Versailles, it draws a straight thread of water lined with trees and paths. The project makes it the backbone of two new neighbourhoods: the whole rainwater network flows towards it.

To the north, the Terrasses de Bellevue step down the slope: water runs from terrace to terrace through swales and joins the rigole. To the south, the Champs libres are laid out in long parallel strips where planted swales accompany the streets and lanes. Along the roads, water is kept in the open, in green swales or in a canal planted with irises and sedges.

Wooded lanes cross the blocks: a narrow path between two swales, in a corridor of hazels and mulberries. The tree-lined streets combine a screen of large trees, gardens and orchards of apple and walnut trees, recalling the plateau’s farming past.

On this wind-swept plateau, tall beech windbreaks and broadleaf hedges create microclimates. Groves and tree screens protect the streets, gardens and squares, making the public spaces pleasant in every season.