Eden Bio: Future of Sustainable Housing?

There are many elements which constitute a “green” architectural design: sustainable materials, effective insulation, intelligent choices to take advantage of elements like passive solar heating, etc. While we’re still a little hazy on the specifics of Edouard François’ latest project, Eden Bio, what appeals to us is the car-free layout.

Eden Bio is a 100-unit social housing development in Paris slated for completion in 2008. The project features terraced houses along pedestrian alleyways. François is well-known for incorporating greenery into his designs, and Eden Bio is no exception. Staircases to reach upstairs units will be mounted externally and covered in plants. The lush, green atmosphere of the development will be enhanced by the organic gardens all along the pedestrian alleys, as well as the greenery covering the buildings’ facades.

It is becoming clear that the way for societies to deal with pollution and global warming is also the best method to bring communities together and to strengthen peoples’ relationships with their neighbors, their environment, and themselves – design communities that don’t depend on cars.