In Seine-Saint-Denis, the former premises of Bison Futé are reborn as social housing

From 1986 to 2016, national road information was centralized in this building clad in brick and glass, 2.500m2 and two floors, with typical 1980s architecture, housed on the heights of Rosny-sous-Bois, a few kilometers north of Paris.

State-owned and empty for several years, the abandoned building was bought by the social landlord Batigère Habitats Solidaires to organize the closure of the hostel for 300 migrant workers located just across the street, which was dilapidated and overcrowded.

"The condition was to create two separate entities so as to no longer recreate a community phenomenon that would be difficult to manage," explains Benoît Narcy, director of real estate operations, during a visit to the site organized by the Seine-Saint-Denis Architecture and Urban Planning Council.

A new residence of 170 dwellings delivered last year below the existing home will therefore be joined by the premises of Bison Futé, which will be converted from offices into dwellings, by adapting the existing premises.

In the middle of the now hollowed-out structure, a vast rotunda of raw concrete is now overlooked only by gray beams decorated with geometric patterns. The roof has been removed, allowing rain to fall inside.

"We are in the old heart of the building, which was the Bison Futé control room. There were screens, we could see all the maps of France. All around there were offices. There were radio stations that also broadcast, with studios right here," describes Gabriel Couturier, from the Canal Architecture agency, the project manager, while wading through the puddles.

Wooden modules

This 12 million euro project is part of the current trend in contemporary architecture to convert the existing rather than completely demolish and rebuild. A choice also motivated by economic and time constraints.

"The idea is to preserve a little of the spirit that the original architects, Ludwik Peretz and Gilbert Delecourt, had planned. We are preserving the building as much as possible, including the large facade on the north side" on the street, explains architect Gabriel Couturier.

The structure of the building will be reinforced with a 500m2 concrete post-slab construction to allow the building to be raised. Thanks to this addition, two floors of wooden construction will be superimposed on the current building, which will double in surface area to 5.200m2.

Of the 170 planned homes, around half will come from 17m2 wooden modules, each prefabricated in the workshop, which will be directly placed in the building by crane.

A method that allows the construction site to progress both on-site and off-site, representing a significant time saving. And allows the migrant workers' housing to be prepared in the healthier conditions of the production plant.

"All the interior finishes are done in the workshop. We put the kitchenette in, the prefabricated bathroom. We put the paint, the floor covering, everything that is needed. We close the door and put it on a truck," describes Gabriel Couturier.

Once the former Bison Futé has been redeveloped, the historic workers' home will be demolished after its occupants have been distributed between the two new residences. The move is expected to be given the green light in 2026.