Location

Located on the south-eastern edge of the centre of Le Mans, Sablons is one of five neighborhoods within the conurbation of Le Mans to be identified as a priority urban neighbourhood. It sits between the river to the south, the railway tracks to the north, and the waterworks and Changé woods to the east. The neighborhood is served by the tram, which gives access to the city centre and the principal amenities of the conurbation in 15 to 20 minutes.

History

The Sablons neighborhood is situated on the right bank of the Huisne river and occupies 153 hectares of former agricultural land prone to flooding. The land was farmed until the 1960s by several farms, some of which dated back to the Middle Ages, and whose names live on: Les Sablons, Le Gué-Bernisson. In 1960, the Ministry of Reconstruction approved the creation of the Sablons-Gazonfier zone for urban development, which was entrusted to urban designer Michel Marty, and subsequently the architect Pierre Vago. More than 5,900 homes were built, and the zone was considered complete in 1978. Classified as a priority urban neighborhood since 1984, it is the subject of an urban renovation policy aiming to de-densify housing and renovate the public space. Today, the population numbers around 10,000 residents, about half that of 1990.

The urban plan of the Sablons neighborhood is characterized by an orthogonal grid and a number of green spaces within the city blocks. The main urban axis is Boulevard Winston Churchill, which becomes Boulevard Schumann, running east–west parallel to the tram line. A certain number of amenities are located along this axis, including the old swimming pool, church, hotel, and shopping centre. The neighborhood is crossed by the D314 (Boulevard Nicolas Cugnot), currently a major ring road for the conurbation, programmed to be redeveloped as an urban boulevard. To the north of the neighborhood, housing is generally in the form of estates of detached houses, while towers and low-rise blocks predominate in the rest of the neighborhood. Several schools have been built (2 high schools, 3 primary schools and 6 nursery schools), structuring the area into four units around which housing has been developed.

Orientations

The urban project implemented in the Sablons neighborhood as part of the Nouveau Programme de Renouvellement Urbain (NPNRU, new programme for urban renewal) aims to increase the appeal of the neighborhood. The initiatives cover a number of subjects:
• Improving housing quality, diversifying stock by demolishing old social housing and rebuilding as social housing or for home ownership;
• Redevelopment of public amenities;
• Development of public spaces, traffic routes, car parking and green spaces;
• Redevelopment of both of the neighborhood’s shopping centres and the development of a range of business and office premises.

In light of this, developer Cénovia Cities has conducted studies on the redevelopment of the Sablons shopping centre, and commissioned Atelier Ruelle to carry out urban studies. This project covers some 70,000m2. It is an inclusive project, aimed at reworking this central area of the neighborhood with demolitions (slab, retail outlets and supermarket), construction (business incubator, housing, offices), refurbishment (Laffitte), and the overall redevelopment of public spaces (replanting, pedestrian and cycle paths, conversion of the ring road into an urban boulevard).

Progress report

As part of the Sablons and southern neighborhoods (Le Mans) development, the following have already been completed:
• redevelopment and renovation of the Pierre-Rouzière gymnasium,
• the construction of the new Sablons nursery,
• Le Mans Métropole Habitat’s 2023 energy upgrade of two clusters of buildings numbering 155 social housing units within the EPAU area.

The following are ongoing:
• the demolition by Le Mans Métropole Habitat of 45 social housing units at 2–6 rue de Bulgarie, 30 rue d'Allemagne and 2 rue de Turquie (relocation ongoing).

The project site

The Laffitte building and its shopping centre occupy a strategic position. This dilapidated, 5-storey office building with 6,200m2 of floor space constitutes the visual arrival into the neighborhood when getting off the tram. It is composed of a commercial garden level on the street side, and a commercial and community level on the slab side, with a marked difference in level between the different entrances into the building, and blind facades limiting the building’s exposure to the outside. The guideline orientations set out plans for its complete redevelopment and the creation of a cluster of local shops, services and businesses around the ground floor.

Initial ideas for programming

Orientations for programming have been established to adapt the range of shops and services to meet the real needs of the neighborhood as closely as possible. For the time being, for the Laffitte block they include: 
• The creation of a supermarket to enable the relocation and resizing of the existing Carrefour superstore (the sales area of the new supermarket should have a maximum sales area of 1,500m2, i.e. around 2,200/2,300m2 of floor space). 
• The redevelopment of local retail units of about 1,000m2 at garden level on the tram side (currently occupied by a grocery, a butcher, a baker and four vacant units) and on the slab-side ground floor (currently occupied by a bar, the UDAF’s reception, one vacant retail unit). 
• The refurbishment of the five floors (excluding the garden and ground levels), with a total surface area of about 4,860m2 (48% owned by UDAF 72, 41% Cénovia Cités, and three other owners for the remainder), for new offices. 
• Reflection on possible uses of the ‘5th facade’ (the roof) as part of the redeveloped building project. The building’s commercial vocation will therefore be reaffirmed, but with a focus on local demand and complementarity, particularly with regards the ground floor of the Abbey collective ownership building. The uses and activities that could be accommodated in the upper floors of the renovated Laffitte building need to be considered. 

A complementary project for a new construction around the theme of “entrepreneurship, innovation, training” is also requested. The creation of a business incubator and/ or training/production centre, particularly for local entrepreneurs, should be studied.

The ambitions of the project

The location of the Laffitte building is of key importance to the urban project in terms of creating a commercial centre and an attractive range of services along Boulevard Winston Churchill and in the centre of the neighborhood. The building is located at the foot of the tram stop. Its six floors make it an impressive structure, calling for ambitious architectural proposals. This architectural approach could help to break away from the standardized image imposed by the construction methods used for the original buildings of the development zone, and setting an example for their renovation. One of the main aims of the project is to give the shopping centre greater visibility within its surroundings. In particular, the architectural response and/ or proposed uses of the north facade should enliven the public space. 


In addition, thought must be given to the interaction between the shopping centre and its surrounding public spaces in order to integrate the paths and flows of daily life, using a range of materials conducive to active transport. The redevelopment of the public spaces adjoining the Laffitte building must take into account the presence of the Sablons open-air market, one of the largest in Le Mans. 

The project for the redevelopment of the Laffitte building, and, more broadly, the centre of Sablons as a whole, aims to improve the site’s landscaping and its urban and ecological insertion. The site is located in the immediate vicinity of the ecological corridor formed by the Huisne river and its park. This target will be helped by unsealing and planting large areas of ground (car park, slab, supermarket, slip road).

• How can the local shopping centre be rethought in relation to the open-air market to create an attractive, inclusive and safe place to live? 
• What kind of business and commercial activities should be developed in the upper floors of the Laffitte building to create local jobs and boost the economic development of this priority urban neighborhood? 
• What architectural treatment is appropriate for the renewed image of this office building that could also set a precedent in terms of facade renovation techniques? 
• What level of flexibility in the design proposals for this refurbishment would allow sufficient flexibility for the fit-out and thereby safeguard the future, while also optimizing fit-out costs for potential tenants? 
• How can the renovation of the Laffitte building be made a showcase project for the area in terms of carbon audit (reuse, energy efficiency, energy production, bio-sourced materials, etc.)?