Debarre Duplantiers Associés: The historical centre of Bordeaux University sets a new beginning: the Opération Campus begins with urban design at its heart. These spaces are currently closed, intended solely for receiving deliveries, however the project intends to turn them into a lively heart of the University, where intermingling can take place. The initial meaning of “campus” can be retrieved through an intense central green space. This series of courtyards becomes a network of interactive spaces, as well as a part of the city : a number of facilities animate the center of the square (museum, café , amphitheaters) and contribute to its urban value. The addition of planted elements lends a human scale to the existing hardscape by providing shade, delineating paths, and acting to filter air, sound, and light that enters the space.

This, in turn, combats the Urban Heat Island Effect, providing more pleasant interior spaces during the hot summer months. In plan, a certain hierarchy is established between the wide-open center, and more intimate spaces along the space’s edges. This variety of spaces invites a wide range of activities common for a university campus, from eating lunch in the sun, to meeting with colleagues and professors, to hosting celebrations and festivals.

Landscape Architecture: Debarre Duplantiers Associés
Location: Rue Leyteire / Rue Broca, Université Victor Segalen – Bordeaux, France
Dates: 2011 – 2012 (livraison)
Surface : 1 900 m2 of concrete, 450 m2 of vegetation
Palette végétale : Juda’s tree, camelia, chamaerops Humilis, charmille, choisya ternata, cornus
Cost: 0,9 M€ (2011)