Jules Ferry Residence Illustration (Courtesy of Le Toit Vosgien)
By Jeff Ruppert
The Jules Ferry Residence is an urban housing development in Saint-Die-des-Vosges, France that incorporates pre-fabricated straw bale walls and many other highly sustainable features. The project is a comprehensive approach to sustainable urban lifestyles through conscious planning and design. The buildings themselves are carbon positive and energy net-zero, supplying high-density living space at a huge reduction in operating costs, compared to other housing choices in the surrounding city.
Jules Ferry is built on a 2,500 m2 (0.62 acres) site of a former school playground. It is tightly integrated with the existing urban fabric of Saint-Die-des-Vosges. There are 19 units in Building A, and seven units in Building B offering both T3 (76 m2 or 760 sf) and T4 (90 m2 or 900 sf) sized units. Each building is designed around a central “sheath” that houses all of the mechanical fluid systems (heating, hot water and air exchange).
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