Topping-out ceremony – Construction of four apartment buildings as part of the "Centre de Merl" PAP

The project entails the construction of four apartment buildings as part of the "Centre de Merl" Special Development Plan (Plan d'aménagement particulier – PAP) in collaboration with the National Low-Cost Housing Administration (Société Nationale des Habitations à Bon Marché – SNHBM), which will serve as the project manager and oversee the construction work. In all, 47 accommodation units will be built and included in the stock of rental housing managed by the City's Service Logement (Housing Department).

Construction of apartment buildings on the new Rue Annette Schwall-Lacroix

The lot is located between Route de Longwy and Rue de Merl, near the new srteet Rue Annette Schwall-Lacroix, at nos. 3, 5, 7 and 9.

The apartment buildings – named lots 2 to 5 – have one basement level and four above-ground levels, the topmost of which is recessed. In all, they include 5 one-bedroom units, 28 two-bedroom units, 13 three-bedroom units, and 1 four-bedroom unit.

• Lot 2 comprises 15 units, 3 of which on the ground floor are designed for people with reduced mobility.
• Lot 3 comprises 10 units, 1 of which is designed for people with reduced mobility.
• Lots 4 and 5 comprise 11 units each, 2 of which are designed for people with reduced mobility.

Access to the lot 2 apartments is from the main street entrance, on the west side. The pedestrian entrance to lot 3 is on the west side. Lots 4 and 5 share the pedestrian entrance via a walkway between the two buildings. All of the units have either a balcony or a terrace. The interior stairwell of each building has a large skylight that lets in natural light.

The apartment buildings are connected by a shared underground garage that is accessed via a one-lane ramp under lot 3. The garage has 47 parking spaces, parking for bikes, equipment rooms, ancillary space and storage areas.

Energy concept

The roofs are flat and heavily vegetated. Solar photovoltaic modules will be installed on the roofs of lots 2, 4 and 5, while the roof of lot 3 will be fitted with solar panels. The solar heat system will partially cover heat and domestic hot water production requirements. The renewable electricity produced by the photovoltaic panels will be fed into the power grid. The apartment buildings will have a B-B energy rating.

Facades and materials

The facades are made of clinker bricks (Klinkerriemchen). The facades of lots 3, 4 and 5 all have a protruding part and a receding part to create a slight separation between the ground floor and the standard floors. By virtue of its position as the entry to "Centre de Merl", lot 2 is considered a special building. It has a different configuration without separations between the floors, and its facade will be a different colour from that of lots 3–5.

Outdoor facilities

The outdoor space has been divided into three separate areas.

The first level opens onto the new Rue Annette Schwall-Lacroix and meets the servitude écologique (conservation easement) requirements.

On the second level, public green spaces and private terraces for the four buildings are planned. The land there will need to be landscaped. The reference level was set at +0.00 m for lots 3–5. The reference level of lot 2 is +2.13 m above +0.00 m.

There is a "private" green space on the last level. The original land there has not been landscaped, and is expected to be covered with vegetation suited for extensive mowing. In addition, fruit trees will be planted there.