The CNOA and the ANRU sign their first partnership agreement to promote architectural and urban quality in urban renewal projects

This collaboration aims to support the architectural, urban, environmental and usage quality of projects carried out in urban renewal districts.

This partnership builds upon regular exchanges and fruitful technical collaborations, already evidenced by the creation of a thematic guide on the redevelopment of social housing and the CNOA's participation in work on the "Remarkable Contemporary Architecture" heritage. The agreement now allows these exchanges to be structured, placed within a common framework, and deployed more broadly and effectively.

Shared objectives to strengthen the quality of projects

The convention aims to:

• Recognizing the specific characteristics of urban renewal operations, where rehabilitation and new construction are part of an integrated urban, environmental and social strategy;
• Develop a common culture of architectural quality and housing use, by capitalizing on feedback and producing shared tools;
• Promote the sobriety of spaces, materials and uses, in order to reduce carbon impacts and to support the evolution of housing in the face of demographic and social needs (modularity, scalability, reversibility);
• Promote the emergence and development of local sectors, particularly around bio-based, geo-based materials and reuse;
• To enhance the role of architects in the transformation of the existing built environment and in supporting project owners throughout the projects.

A structured two-year action program

The partnership includes a set of joint actions over a period of 24 months:

• A shared assessment: Analysis of 5 to 10 exemplary housing operations — new or rehabilitated, public or private — in order to identify the levers of a quality operation: urban and landscape integration, quality of use, comfort, access to outdoor spaces, sobriety, existing heritage, management and maintenance, participation of residents, etc.
• A national seminar: Organization of a working day bringing together project owners, designers, local authorities, institutional actors, building companies and residents, in order to share feedback, operational lessons and perspectives.
• A Charter for quality housing: The joint work will formalize a common reference for project owners, landlords and designers, integrating criteria for architectural, urban, environmental and usage quality, as well as a methodological framework to objectify operational choices, in rehabilitation as well as in new construction.
• Continuous enhancement of the work: Joint publications, capitalization, exchanges between networks, contributions to major national events (USH Congress, Mayors' Congress, ANRU or CNOA events), dissemination on the Anruscope: the partners commit to widely sharing the lessons learned from this approach.

According to Christophe Millet, president of the CNOA: “This agreement marks a crucial step towards placing architectural and urban quality at the heart of renewal projects. Together with the ANRU (National Agency for Urban Renewal), we affirm that architecture is a solution to address social, environmental, and territorial challenges. Rehabilitation is a core priority for the CNOA (National Council of the Order of Architects), which will support any regulatory developments aimed at giving it a stronger legal force.”

According to Anne-Claire Mialot, Director General of ANRU: "This agreement formalizes the fruitful exchanges we have been conducting with the CNOA for several years. It allows us to establish a structured framework for joint work aimed at architectural quality, improving the living environment, and enhancing the environmental performance of urban renewal projects."