Project
From 2006 to 2013, the agricultural area of Pays de Dreux decreased from 76% to 73% and
from 17% to 16% for forest area. These reductions urge the seeking of a more sustainable
and resilient solution which moderates the need for future economic endeavours and
agricultural activities of the conglomeration. On the future arrival of the motorway A154,
apart from the positive impact that it will bring such as creations and support of employment
and economy, numerous potential environmental issues and impact on villagers’ living
conditions should be anticipated. At the conglomeration scale, the project proposes an
equilibrium between ecology and urbanity based on the understanding of a
combination of blue, green and yellow grids.
The proposed scheme seeks to organise synergy rather than rivalry between the rural and
urban economies, introduces the idea of resilient territories, based on a better interaction
between urban and rural zones, and a vision of the territory as an organic system that
is dynamic and flexible. We developed a method of punctual manipulation through a
territorial backbone in order to create an ecologically sustainable urban development.
If the motorway A154 will be operated as the territorial backbone, the whole network of
agricultural interventions will be functioning as the acupuncture practice. By focusing on
narrow emergent points in the territory, it involves pinpointed interventions that create
positive ripple effects to transform the whole conglomeration of Pays de Dreux. Using green
infrastructure to protect the inhabited zone from harmful effects of the future motorway.
a(gri)puncture network in combination with green armature and soft mobility grid will be
essential elements to harmonize conflicts between interfaces of different urban fabrics.

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A(gri)puncture
is a progressive conversion of space into place, of non productive into productive areas.
It emphasizes the importance of community development through simple and small scale
interventions and bring people closer to the production zone while providing the “sense of
place”. a(gri)puncture therefore, functions as an integral part of community and regional

health. It gives access to fresh food, parks and green spaces, It supports for agricultural
education, passive recreation, curation of cultural, small scale agriculture, short market
chain. A network of a(gri)puncture projects will be implemented at local scale at the
interfaces of different milieus, together make a big impact at regional scale
Architype
The project proposes building types that innovatively address demands for industrial growth
while limiting agricultural land consumption. A key architectural device, the lego-like
structure, allows each company acquires different configuration according to their
requirements of space and function. The evolutive plan encourages future development
in the metabolism principal, allowing for “add-ons” later, based on company’s need and
affordability. The void in-between the volumes makes room for future extensions. This seed
programmatic will organically grow over time.
This lego structure is an adaptable solution for small scale industrial , artisan companies
(PMI/PME), perfect typology for the villa d’entreprises . With the surface from 600 m2 to
1000 m2 including 200 m2 for offices and 800 m2 for workshops, and 15 parking lots. It’s
also extendable to form a bigger structures like warehouses and big scale industrial
companies .“Indifferent” structures / configurations rooting from the same elemental units are
capable of accommodating a variety of different activities. By carving generic configurations
into parcels, we obtain a sequence of small scale industrial clusters.

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Tremblay les villages (Pilote project)
The ZAE of Vallee du Saule is located on the main national transport axis interchanging with
local road network. The strategy will seek ways to achieve density, mixed-use and
accessibility for the new extension and existing parts of the activity zone over a territory of 15
hectares, allowing the ZAE to growth in a sustainable way and be more attractive to small
and middle scale industries.The anticipated arrival of A154 is the opportunity to rethink this
territory and its transformation into a productive, lively and healthy activity zone. At the first
step, adaptation and revitalization, companies situated in the perimeter impacted by the
arrival of A154 will be relocated, existing underused spaces in the activity zone will be
neutralized using phytoremediation in order to prepare for agricultural uses in future.
A(gri)puncture practice will be operated along the main axis A154 creating a buffer zone in
order to regulate the hard border between the production zone and the motorway;
open up the border, take advantage of the proximity to major infrastructures, regenerate the
abandoned embankments along the A154. Creating a band runs parallel to the highway; the
band consists of electrical vehicle charging stations, wholesale local products stores,
agricultural parks, farming garden and resting place. It is a hybrid strategy between
hypermobility and energy transition and productive use of spaces. Urban vegetation
can effectively decreases air pollution caused by highway traffic; solid or vegetative noise
barriers along highways can decrease the amount of air pollution reaching neighborhood;
dense vegetation performs similarly to a solid barrier by both blocking and filtering air
pollution; urban agriculture can improve access to fresh, healthy, affordable food and
short market chain reduces transportation costs while lowering carbon emissions.
Agricultural development can activate the productive potential of underused land.
It also helps to create qualitative borders and pacify the brutal relationship between
A154 and its territories.The residual highway verge is no longer considered as an urban

fragmentation but rather an interface, a buffer zone, a mobility corridor, a productive
space. It can accommodate different temporary events as well as agricultural and extensif
livestock farming.
ZAE extension
The grid of extension of existing ZAE follows the agricultural land pattern
most of the buildings are built on stilts, the residual spaces on the ground become the
common space within the company cluster and can be opened to the public at certain times
of the day as one of the farmland compensation strategies. This interchangeable
common/public space is dedicated to recreational activities, encouraging the dynamic of
activities, and the exchange between the villagers and the activity zone. With a touristic and
educational program, the public will get involved and possibly contribute financially to the
local benefits.This space also emphasizes simplified accessibility, democracy on foot,
together with a system of intensified soft mobility, shared mobility and transportation
on-demand, breaking away from dependency upon personal vehicles as well as the natural
land consumption. The parking silos is shared between two or more entities. It serves as a
multimodal platform with a large place for soft mobilities on the ground floor. Being easy to
maintain, It also a great choice for the economic plan.
By breaking monofunctional entities into human-scale amenities and mixed activities, the
idea is to move from distances and acceleration to proximity and accessibility. As a result,
the scale of proximity becomes increasingly important, new forms of interaction and sharing
will emerge within these new configurations. In terms of programs, the extension of ZAE will
be mix-used, it consist of offices, villa d’entreprises(company clusters), Farm Lab,
co-working spaces, pharmaceutical research centres, inter-entreprise restaurants,
kindergartens, sport centers and a vast productive gardening areas. In other word improving
the mixity and attractiveness is the best way to optimize the land use of the ZAEs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brezolles
The a(gri)puncture will be applied at the edge of the village and the ZAE and becomes a
node weaving the two different fabrics village and ZAE, creating a dialogue between
living and working spaces.Various social activities are proposed in order to animate the
village, maintaining the link between local life and production activities. The masterplan
consists of leisure and agricultural parks, extensive farming areas, community gardens,
open-air farming areas, companies clusters, local markets, commerces, inter-enterprise
restaurants, a main promenade leading to a meditation garden and a representing dynamic
public space. It transforms the hinterland into a productive space. This mixed-uses
development will bring a wide range of recreational, well being and educational
activities to offer a new experience for both villagers and workers, transforming the former
physical barrier into a productive space and potential tourist attraction which meets the
main program of the hub and increases local property values. This a(gri)puncture invisibly
reestablishes the proximities between living and working, stimulated productive relations
within residential and production zones. This fosters relationships between the village
community and their food sources and connects Brezolles centres to its surrounding. As a
result, it recreates the sense of community by giving the production zone an identity.
The ZAE is no longer a monofunctional zone dedicated to industrial and economic activities

but can also be a place for social interaction. The sense of community could also be a
catalysis for economic development.
The second intervention is densifying laterally the pavilion zone at the fringe of the
residential area making room for touristic purpose and freeing the core of the parcel for
public space and social interaction. The extended part of each household could be used as
airbnb which contributes productively to local incomes.In term of mobilities, the project
promotes the creation of soft mobility. Opening up the pavilion fabric along the St Remi
road network connecting from La Meuvette to the new ZAE. Intensify the direct connection
between the ZAE and the road D4 which leads to Paris by creating 2 parallel new roads
which can support trucks and other heavyweight vehicles. These roads also help to improve
goods vehicle traffic, strengthen the commercial fabric of the town centre, increase the
density of the interstitial areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saint Lubin des Joncherets
In order to keep the continuity of the wooded area and its ecology system, the proposal
is planned as an interweaving of elements of built form , natural landscape and
agricultural spaces. The idea is not only to preserve but enhance the landscape and
productive value of the natural zone. The arrival of the A154 will have a negative impact
on waterways of Avre and its ecosystem. Therefore, we propose the creation of a substitute
natural landscape and natural habitats. The green armature will fill in the gap between the
wooded area creating a continuous ecological corridor and turn it into a productive area
for forest farming and pasturage activities. Furthermore, it will form a belt protecting over
potential air pollution from the A154 and preventing the future in-situ expansion of the
villages.
The site has a large yet unequipped farm road network. Therefore, the idea is to requalify
and transform the boride into a more productive space by planting edible fruit tree
plantations. Ripe, hazel, chestnut, and berry trees and other local vegetations, turning the
landlocked rural area into a place of recreation and agricultural practices, running and
picking, walking and collecting, cycling and nurturing. Integrating the agricultural and
ecological grid into a network of soft mobility will establish new relationships between
people and landscape features. Reinforcing existing transport network and create new roads
leading directly from ZAE to the future A154, the ZAE will be designed always with the same
concept.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Territory is like a living creature, to be functional, natural areas must be interconnected and
allow the circulation and exchanges of animal and plant species. Ecological continuities
not only create a territorial identity but furthermore make the territory being more resilient
and productive. The unexpected effect of the hypermobility infrastructure is to structuring,
connecting the territory by generating landscape and ecological fragmentation. Both
negative and positive sides are non-negligible. Providing a territorial measure to take
advantage of both seems to be the most pertinent answer. By combining agriculture with
acupuncture methodology, we hope A(gri)puncture could create a positive ripple effect,
bridging the territorial fragmentation, reducing energy consumption and making a territory
more livable and productive.