In Nantes, Lizy: a project to complete the Bottière-Chénaie urban development zone and open a new path for affordable housing

With Lizy, AVENTIM affirms a clear positioning: to offer sustainable and quality housing where the market too often pits controlled prices against construction quality.

Closing a major development zone in Nantes

Located in Nantes, the Bottière-Chénaie urban development zone (ZAC), managed by Nantes Métropole Aménagement and Nantes Métropole, has gradually taken shape over the past 15 years, with the construction of housing, offices, shops, and services, creating a vibrant and mixed-use neighborhood. Lizy was designed as a flagship project, reflecting the ambitions of the eco-district: socially accessible, environmentally rigorous, and architecturally refined.

In November 2024, AVENTIM won the design competition for the project, initially planned as a mixed-use housing building and an office building. Circumstances led to a reorientation of the program: today, Lizy is a residential project combining social and market-rate housing, fully integrating the requirements of the ecological transition.

A high-quality and affordable residential development

The project comprises two buildings. Building A includes 42 social housing units sold to Nantes Métropole Habitat, providing quality housing for eligible households. Building B includes 30 owner-occupied units, whose prime location allows them to benefit from a reduced VAT rate of 5,5%, resulting in a very competitive price of €3.850/m² including VAT and parking. This approach enables tenants to become homeowners with a manageable financial commitment, estimated at approximately €100 more per month, in a context where homeownership is becoming increasingly difficult.

Lizy thus provides a concrete answer to the question of real estate purchasing power, without compromising on the quality of housing.

According to Giovanni Lottin, Program Director at AVENTIM: “With Lizy, we are affirming a strong conviction: affordable housing must, more than ever, benefit from sustainable and high-quality design. The ecological transition cannot be reserved for certain projects or asset classes. It must become a standard for the entire residential sector. It is this collective responsibility that we seek to assume and demonstrate through this project.”

The apartments feature balconies, loggias, or terraces and benefit from immediate proximity to trams and public transport, promoting sustainable mobility for young professionals. At the base of the building, commercial units are designated for medical professionals, meeting local needs and facilitating the establishment of practitioners in the neighborhood.

The architecture and design of the project were entrusted to YLÉ - Lucille Leyer for AVENTIM, in close collaboration with urban planning consultant Jean-Pierre Pranlas-Descours, ensuring the quality of the facades and common areas. The selected materials, such as a prefabricated, sandblasted and tinted concrete base, a wood-concrete slab, mixed wood-aluminum joinery, and bio-based insulation, offer an aesthetic and sustainable result rarely found at this price point. The common areas include a landscaped central courtyard, spacious bicycle storage, and sheltered gardens incorporating rainwater management, respecting biodiversity and shared uses.

A dynamic regional activity in a demanding context

Lizy perfectly embodies AVENTIM's DNA: ecological transition, bio-based materials, and uses centered on residents' comfort. This 72-unit project (60% social housing) with a ground-floor commercial space exceeds the RE2020 2025 standard, with an optimized carbon trajectory of -10% compared to regulations, integrating

• A distinctive architectural identity (architect YLE)
  • Prefabricated, tinted architectural concrete base
  • Wooden loggias and balconies
  • Hydraulic lime-type plaster
  • Mixed wood-aluminum joinery.
  • Tinted aluminum roller shutters
• A remarkable landscaping project in the heart of the block
• Flexible, dual-aspect apartments
• RE 2020-10% commitment (2025 target):
  • Bbio -13%
  • Cep -19%
  • Ice -75% (RCU)
  • Icc -13%
  • + Achievement of level 1 “BIOSOURCE”
    • Wood/concrete floors (BB slab type)
    • BioFIB trio facade insulation

According to Arnaud Michel-Courty, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Group: “In a demanding economic context for the entire sector, the Nantes region continues to develop. With Lizy, Lune de Mhiel on the banks of the Erdre, and also Oscar in Saint Jean de Mont, AVENTIM demonstrates its ability to maintain a high level of activity and to offer responsible projects adapted to current market expectations.”

The project thus demonstrates AVENTIM's ability to combine environmental performance, architectural quality and accessibility, while actively participating in the sustainable development of the Nantes metropolitan area.

Key figures and calendar

• Total area: 4.666 m2 SP
• Outdoor area: 850 m2 (shared outdoor space)

Building permit application submitted: April 2025

Construction to begin: end of February 2026

Estimated delivery: Q4 2027 for the entire residence

Project management partners:

• Project architect: Ylé Architectes – Lucille Leyer
• Landscape architect: FAAR Paysage – Martin Bedier
• Construction economics, project management and works supervision: EXE design office – Olivier Briand
• Structural engineering firm: BETAP – Sylvain Viaud
• Fluid engineering firm: Pouget Consultants – Gilles Guyot
• Civil engineering design office: Viarum – Pascal Marchais
• Environmental consulting firm: Atelier Franck Boutté – Aymeric Anquetin
• Acoustic consulting firms: AIDA – Joël Rakoto
• Project management office: BTP Consultants – Maxime Tanguy