Cultivating the City, or The Lessons from the Worm

Team Point of View

Nowadays the soil is mainly a surface on which the City lies and is no longer considered as an active resource for urban metabolism.
The Somme administrative department has been shaped by its geological conditions. Topography, hydrology and soils have influenced regional morphology and development.
Based on lessons from the worm, the project aims at bringing the soil back at the core of urban territory.
It reconnects social, economic and ecological productivity in order to provide not only electricity and heat, but also calories and knowledge.
The project focuses on simple, biologically oriented interventions. It is a regenerative infrastructure using the tools of the worm: perforate, link, diversify, re-scale and infiltrate.
The soil project is not a master plan but a long-term process based on experimentation.

Jury Point of View

A proposal that is, in terms of strategy and method, rich and innovative on several scales. Based on the principle of soil regeneration, the team’s proposal is doubly relevant ecologically and economically. The proposed concept of development, the “earthworm strategy”, is enriched by the sensitivity of a project that pays attention to nature and the landscape, based on the qualities and resources of the site. It responds to the competition theme with a particular radicalness.

2018-2019
Following the competition, the city quickly wanted to set up work meetings and participatory presentations. A three-day workshop was organized in order to present the Europan teams and the actors of the city (officials, owners, associations, etc.). The initial goal of the reflection launched by the city was to bring together the three teams in order to jointly propose an ideal project. Unfortunately, this initiative was not completed.
The current follow-up to the project was later initiated by AMSOM Habitat, a social landlord. It concerned another site included in perimeter of the Europan reflection site: Tellier quay - Chrétien block. The new site chosen corresponds to the principles developed by the Europan project since it benefits from a strategic position and allows nature and the city to meet in this former activity zone located on the border of these two landscapes. Its transformation will make it possible to initiate the modification of the district gently, by connecting the different facets of the city.
A first feasibility study was commissioned directly to Le28 Architectes agency, whom associated the Sédimontière team (special mention) and the Carlos Collective team (winner) for the landscaping component. The notion of a productive city has been retained. The development of the quay is created as an extension of the Europan project of Le28 and the enhancement of the architectural heritage was also a strong proposal. AMSOM, receptive to the proposals made by the Europan teams, agreed to preserve a building that was initially slated for demolition and whose enhancement was proposed. It will be converted into a space for sports and community gatherings."
Following the feasibility study, a call for tenders was launched to appoint a design team for the guide plan of the new district, won by the Le28 Architectes team. This was a guide plan programming mission that will make it possible to determine the urban and architectural prescriptions that will build the future district.