Ségoffin, the very first site of the Empreintes call for mixed-use, low-carbon urban projects, has a winner. The Synapses project will be led by Pitch Immo.

The Empreintes Call for Innovative Urban Projects (APUI) focuses on the transformation of five land parcels, including the Ségoffin site, located at the junction of the business district and the town of Courbevoie. Environmental exemplarity, contribution to neighborhood life, programmatic diversity, and technical innovation are the common threads running through the project.

Paris La Défense is committed to fostering a new generation of exemplary urban projects and future real estate developments in the area. By organizing the Empreintes consultation process, the business district's developer is supporting private operators in the co-construction of high-quality projects that embody its raison d'être: to become the world's leading post-carbon business district.

Located in the heart of a diverse neighborhood, the Ségoffin site is situated within the Patrick-Devedjian Boulevard. It is bordered by the three large residential complexes Dauphins, Leclerc, and Gambetta, as well as Henri Regnault Street. In addition to nearby shops, there are also transport links: Cœur Transport, as well as the future Eole station, which will be less than a 10-minute walk away. Its strategic location offers the possibility of a new urban connection and dynamic exchanges with Courbevoie.

The Ségoffin site jury met on July 4, 2023, and selected the Synapses project, for which Pitch Immo is the consortium representative.

The winning project for the Ségoffin site is Synapses, led by Pitch Immo and developer GA Smart Building, and designed by urban architect Alfonso Femia. Synapses' ambitions for the area are based on three main themes:

• Diversity: Synapses will create a link between the slab and the city, enhanced by services for residents and employees.
• Urban connection: Synapses was designed on a neighborhood scale between the Dauphins residence and Courbevoie. It creates a new route by redeveloping the Ségoffin intersection, Rue Serpentines, and the surroundings of Boulevard Patrick Devedjian.
• Exemplarity: Synapses meets the environmental ambitions of Paris La Défense by achieving the RE 2028 thresholds, thanks to innovative materials and construction processes with the aim of creating a harmonious, balanced, and low-carbon building.

Synapses' programming meets the current aspirations of residents, employees, neighborhood users, and developers: local shops, services dedicated to soft mobility, restaurants, and sports. This new meeting place, organized into two co-living buildings, the Serpentine and Ségoffin towers, will bring together a wide range of offerings in its base to enhance the commercial aspect of the area. Take a guided tour of this future Courbevoie landmark.

The two-level base will bring life to the new Patrick Devedjian urban boulevard while enhancing the neighborhood's appeal, with:

• A 300 m² Franprix-style mini-market
• A 400 m² restaurant area
• A 600 m² gym, which will welcome all members of the public wishing to exercise from morning to evening.
• Activity spaces: multipurpose room and third place, concierge service
• Infrastructure for electric soft mobility, cargo bikes, as well as repair tool kits and services will also be integrated as part of a workshop or mobility kiosk.

Colonies, a start-up launched in 2017 and a national leader in the co-living market, will be the future operator of the co-living residence. It will offer large apartments with around ten bedrooms and triple-aspect “private units” organized around a large common area, a spacious living room, and a kitchen opening onto a private terrace. This choice of accommodation through the prism of collective coliving also reinforces the project's ambition for diversity and inclusivity, particularly by targeting young professionals and employees.

In addition to the collective dimension of the housing offered by Synapses, there will be a 6,100 m² space reserved for residents, featuring coworking rooms, screening rooms, music and entertainment rooms, sports facilities, a laundry room, a social lounge, communal gardens, and a rooftop at the top of the Ségoffin tower to enjoy views of Paris La Défense.

The gap created between the two buildings is a major feature of the Synapses project. Its shape opens up the north-south perspective thanks to a series of terraces on the two internal facades. This morphology opens up visual perspectives while avoiding the barrier effect. The gap is enlivened by a series of terraces and green balconies connected by staggered staircases. This is a real asset that brings the project to life and reinforces its landscape dimension while connecting the city and the business district.

Future havens of peace for building users, one rooftop will feature a vegetable garden and the other will be furnished with furniture that invites relaxation and conversation, sheltered under a pergola adorned with climbing plants.

The project plans to maintain the community center for people with Alzheimer's disease at its current location, which will be enhanced by plants and urban art, thanks to the respective expertise of landscape architect WALD and urban art specialist Quai 36. The various programmatic and urban activities also aim to revitalize the daily lives of these patients.

The project proposes to make extensive use of off-site construction processes mastered within the GA Smart Building group, particularly through its subsidiary Ossabois. This innovation enables both the prefabrication of building components such as floors, facades, and walls (2D) and their assembly in the workshop (3D). This construction model helps to meet social, societal, and environmental challenges by:

• Reducing construction time by 30% and securing the schedule
• Minimizing construction nuisances for local residents
• Recycling waste
• Achieving industrial-quality finishes
• Reducing the carbon footprint of the structures by nearly 40%

The project was also selected because it meets Paris La Défense's low-carbon objective with a footprint of less than 525 kgCO2eq/m², which complies with the ambitions of the RE2020 tertiary environmental regulations expected for 2028.

Stone and ceramics were chosen for their high technical performance, carbon neutrality, and aesthetic appeal. The palette of light colors, such as sand and beige, creates a harmonious and warm dialogue with the vegetation in the fault and on the rooftop. The curved architecture and dual materials of the two buildings will provide natural light throughout the day.

The transformation of Boulevard Patrick Devedjian, currently a busy road, into a peaceful urban boulevard will include the creation of a 4-meter-wide two-way bike path. To support these new uses, the Synapses project's bike room will offer a complete range of services dedicated to soft mobility: parking, repairs, and electric charging.

The project aims to promote water conservation and reuse:

• Rainwater recovery: a 15 m3 tank will be installed on the roof of the base to collect water for use in irrigation.
• Grey water from the co-living space will be collected and partially treated: it will be treated on site and then used to replenish the sanitary facilities in the co-living spaces.

The winning team designed Synapses based on two key ideas: relational spaces and sensory spaces. This future route is built around the strong presence of nature and the lively programming of the base.

The forecourts, or “placettes,” are designed as visible meeting places around the new living spaces initiated by the programming (restaurant, gym, bakery, etc.). Existing green spaces will be preserved as much as possible (on site or transplanted). The creation of paths between the planted areas will calm the Ségoffin intersection. A rotunda and a central pond will adorn the Ségoffin forecourt. Mineral bubbles, “synapses,” will offer numerous seating areas that invite relaxation.

The public space will be adorned with trees of all sizes (notably sequoias), accompanied by a symphony of native species and planted areas. The public spaces will thus offer a varied composition depending on the seasons and the paths. The aim is to create an island of biodiversity, continuing on from the Henri Regnault square, which will extend in front of the Les Dauphins residence, up to the base.

The species will be adapted to the dense urban context of La Défense, ensuring that the plants are compatible with their environment.

The paths will follow the curves of Square Henri-Regnault and Rue Serpentines, connecting the public space to the neighborhood square. These paths will be true sensory walks, punctuated by different vegetation and urban furniture. Like the entire project, these connections are designed to echo the lively base and flourishing vegetation.

In science, a synapse is the connection point between two different disciplines that together lead to a new discovery. In this specific case for the Ségoffin site, the Synapses project connects the Paris La Défense district to the town of Courbevoie. Beyond its roots, the winning project aims to create real synergy between the offices and homes in the neighborhood.