Living with water

TOPOGRAPHY, A DETERMINING FACTOR OF HABITABILITY
The action of water on the limestone massif has sculpted the Seine Valley, creating meanders prone to flooding. Human activities, initially in harmony with the topography, have tried to impose themselves, multiplying development, blurring the "natural" landscape, and accentuating the consequences of floods. The awareness of these risks forces us to reconsider the development practices that take place on the banks of the Seine.

The grid as a tool for understanding and managing the territory. To integrate all the variables of hydraulic mechanics and human activities, we propose a grid to facilitate the understanding of sites to determine their function. This grid intertwines the lines of the major and minor channels, the topography, and the plots.

The risk of flooding. A 15-20% increase in flood-prone areas is expected by 2050, and a 40% increase in the number of heatwave days by 2080. There are four ways to address this situation: resistance, resilience, protection, and voluntary retreat. None of them alone can eradicate the risks, but the synergy between them allows for mitigating their consequences.

ADAPT THE TERRITORY OF VERNON

Site and temporality. This site (between the Seine and the D6015) must be considered from the perspective of its temporality: ordinary when the Seine is a source of pleasure and wealth, extraordinary when the floods disrupt daily life.

Urbanizing along the banks of the Seine means combining these temporalities so that habitability is maintained regardless of the water level.
This means

-Increase the river flow by distributing the water and increasing hydraulic transparency

-Reduce soil impermeabilization through rainwater infiltration.
The problem goes beyond the 14 hectares of the project area. The right bank, which is not very urbanized, lends itself to the restoration of a "large landscape" that water can freely invade. It will protect the left bank, which is mostly inhabited.

Some measures, in the short and medium term, will consist of adapting to continue living here. Other measures will take a few decades, with the withdrawal of activities away from rising waters and the acceptance of living with more floods. Each of them requires additional resources.

Renaturalize the main channel. As floods increase, activities will have to be interrupted. Insurance compensates for losses and damages, but for how long? The progressive abandonment of uses in the main riverbed seems inevitable. This abandonment will create wealth by renaturalizing plot by plot, as the lands change, including activities upstream of the study area. Its redevelopment will give a new image to the southern entrance of Vernon.

The houses. Single-family homes in the orange sector will probably be abandoned. Those located in the blue sector will be at less risk, allowing for the creation of habitable facilities (raised roofs, water-free levels, walkways and other means, energy self-sufficiency).
The guiding plan. These measures are part of a strategic document designed within the framework of a shared dialogue between elected representatives, various experts, and residents.

LIVING BETWEEN PATIO AND GARDEN

The project embraces flooding as a better way of living.

Three layers:

-The main bed of the Seine, rewilded and equipped (kiosks, guinguette, or shelter…).

-The flood limit, where most of the program is built on stilts. The water flows unobstructed through an urban and natural landscape.

-The flood control area of the Paris Avenue. Built around a courtyard, this area is open to shops and activities, in line with the multifaceted nature of the avenue.

Two levels:

-A natural open ground near the water, gradually built towards the avenue.

-An artificial floor above the flood level, a platform serving the homes.
Two service roads:
One, parallel to the Seine, on natural ground with parking spaces. The other, perpendicular to the river, both on the ground and on terraces, creates a path from the D6015 to the Seine, linking the houses and simultaneously revealing the broader landscape.

Program.
3,100 m2 for 38 apartments, from studios to T4 (with the possibility of an additional 1,000 m2). With multiple orientations, comfortable views, and private terraces, these are "stacked individual apartments." In addition to this residential program, there are shops and street-level activities.
Construction materials.
The construction principle - stone/wood - is inspired by local buildings, with a contemporary approach. The stone (floors, walls) will be extracted from the quarries of Vernon, famous for its quality and frost resistance. On the upper floors, the walls are made of wood, plastered and untreated. The use of local suppliers avoids having to bring materials from afar and mobilizes local businesses.