The housing complex, designed by HEMAA Architectes, is organized across two plots, G and H. The first, located to the north, is divided into five distinct volumes, while the second, situated to the south, is divided into three. This fragmentation avoids the creation of continuous facades, and the stepped typology of the residences allows for the inclusion of spacious terraces.
Each floor contains four or five apartments, all benefiting from carefully considered orientations. The two longitudinal structures that make up each building are slightly offset; this displacement shelters the terraces and balconies along the side facades.
In response to local climatic conditions, nearly all the residences feature a dual-aspect layout that facilitates natural cross-ventilation. The outdoor spaces incorporate pergolas for sun protection, while large windows are shielded by continuous fabric awnings, which reduce the impact of solar radiation and limit heat gain.
" Les Balcons de Sermenaz" Residential Development by HEMAA Architects. Photograph by Charles Bouchaïb.
Project description by HEMAA Architectes
Between city and landscape
Located along the ridge between the Rhône and Saône rivers, Rillieux-la-Pape occupies a unique position within the metropolitan area. The town combines an historic village centre with numerous large residential developments that open out to the east onto an extensive protected natural area stretching along the hillside. It is at the edge of this landscape that the Les Balcons de Sermenaz residential development takes shape. As the final component of a new neighbourhood, it forms a link with the park and accompanies the gradual transition from the urban fabric to the natural environment. This unusual setting offers the opportunity to build in direct relationship with a largely preserved landscape.
Weaving connections
HEMAA Architectes and Brenac & Gonzalez & Associés jointly established the main design principles for this development of 140 homes distributed across two plots, G and H. Building heights and profiles, the fragmentation of the built volumes, and their relationship with the landscape were all explored through a shared and enriching design process. These common principles form a unifying thread, weaving a sense of continuity and familiarity between the different buildings while preserving the distinctive architectural expression of each practice.
Living on the hillside, living at the edge
The development occupies an elevated site at the summit of Sermenaz Hill, which slopes down towards the Rhône. Facing south, it enjoys far-reaching views over Lyon and, to the east on clear days, towards the Alps and Mont Blanc. The design takes full advantage of this setting by maintaining open views between the buildings, extending from the public realm towards the wider landscape.
Plot G, to the north, is divided into five distinct building volumes, while plot H, to the south, comprises three. This fragmentation avoids the creation of imposing, continuous building frontages while encouraging visual permeability and air circulation. At the scale of the individual buildings, a stepped typology follows the slope and creates generous terraces. Viewed from the street, building heights vary from one to five upper floors (G+1 to G+5), through a sequence of shifts, sliding volumes and setbacks. Together, these create an undulating roofline that supports the transition between the city and the park.
The development is set on a shared landscaped plinth across both plots. Tiered gabion retaining walls structure the slope and retain the soil, while planting helps maintain continuity between biodiversity corridors. This arrangement also incorporates parking, making use of the site's topography to minimise excavation and earthworks.
On the western side of the site, near the existing sports hall and at the entrance to the ZAC (Zone d’Aménagement Concerté, a coordinated urban development zone), the first two buildings designed by HEMAA Architectes for social housing provider Erilia accommodate a total of 44 homes. Positioned perpendicular to the street along a north–south axis, their ends facing the valley are opened up by full-height panoramic glazed windows measuring 5.40 metres in width, complemented by generous balconies that frame views across the Rhône Valley. Each floor contains four or five apartments, benefiting from carefully considered orientations. The two longitudinal sections making up each building are slightly offset from one another. This shift extends the principle of layered volumes while protecting terraces and balconies from overlooking. The more understated side façades frame terraced gardens that extend into the heart of the block.
The plinth accommodates the shared facilities: parking, storage cellars and a generously daylit bicycle room designed to allow for its future conversion into a communal room. Double-height entrance halls connect the ground floor with the garden level. Located on this upper level, the first apartments are set back from the street. Direct access to the inner garden allows all residents to enjoy this shared outdoor space.
This relationship with the site extends into the vertical circulation areas, which are open to the outside and naturally lit. The journey to each apartment thus becomes a sequence of spatial experiences and framed views: from the street, above the garden, and finally towards the valley.
A bioclimatic approach to architecture
Particularly exposed to the effects of climate change, the Lyon metropolitan area demands increased attention to summer comfort. In response, almost all apartments benefit from dualaspect layouts, encouraging natural cross-ventilation through differences in the exposure of the facade.
Outdoor spaces are equipped with pergolas incorporating sun-shading elements, allowing residents to enjoy their terraces even during periods of intense heat. Finally, the large glazed openings are protected by continuous fabric blinds that limit solar heat gain.
A building form designed around quality of life and everyday use
Designed in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project reflects a renewed approach to housing quality, at a time when the Girometti–Leclerc report had challenged the gradual reduction in dwelling sizes observed throughout the 2010s. Working in dialogue with the clients and the Lyon Metropolitan Authority, HEMAA Architectes therefore developed apartments with floor areas exceeding current standards, prioritising space, natural light and access to outdoor living areas. This generosity is reflected in spacious living rooms, comfortably sized bedrooms with built-in wardrobes, and kitchens benefiting from natural ventilation and daylight. The layouts also allow workspaces to be incorporated into the living rooms, which include dedicated side areas suited to this purpose. Every apartment also has its own storage cellar. With no load-bearing elements within the apartments, the structural system allows the layouts to be fully adapted over time. Ranging from two- to five-room apartments, all homes benefit from generous outdoor spaces directly extending the living rooms. With a minimum depth of two metres, these terraces function as additional living spaces, open to the landscape and adaptable to a variety of uses. The offset building volumes help preserve privacy by reducing overlooking, while pergolas provide protection from direct sunlight.
Finally, part of the roof of the building next to the sports hall accommodates a shared terrace on the top floor. Facing south and west, this communal space offers all residents an elevated meeting place with outstanding panoramic views over the Lyon metropolitan area and the Alps.
