A park honoring existing trees and structural waterways, created alongside Sarcelles residents

Our work in this park and the Cèdre Bleu site is grounded in the continuing history and poetic nature of these places, drawing inspiration from the “city-park” concept coined by Philippe Panerai in his 1997 study on Sarcelles. Nestled along a high railroad, the project site encompasses diverse environments of varying sizes and landscape systems. The valley is key to enhancing the architecture of the park edges, as the constructions concentrated along the hilltops boast sweeping views over the valley and out to the wooded horizon in the distance. Buildings are constructed along the edges of the 4.3-hectare public park set at the heart of the valley. A vast 1.5-hectare meadow, dotted with groves of existing and newly planted ornamental trees, inhabits the middle of the park. Four complementary landscape systems form the site’s tree species composition. Riparian zones flourish in the valleys, along the waterways (the Petit Rosne and Marlière streams). Forest groves stand among the hilltops of the park. The dense trees create a plant screen, minimizing visual impact and noise pollution from the adjacent railroad. Conservation orchards and hedgerows span the Plaine de Chauffour plain and the hilltops of the park. Majestic trees dot the entire site. Planted in groves or standing alone, these mighty trees underscore the arboretum-like character of the park. The Petit Rosne and Marlière streams are rewilded, their beds widened and banks transformed into gentle and irregular slopes. The Plaine de Chauffour plain is graded to create a water basin and adjoining wetland zone. This new aquatic environment aids in site-wide runoff collection and flood management, all while forming a nature and bird reserve.