The town of Saïx borders Castres in
the department of the Tarn, straddling the highway coming from Toulouse.
At the time of the project, the town was subject to somewhat chaotic
urban development, with a badly organised spatial structure. The setting
up of the ZAC des Martinelles, with an industrial vocation, between
the town centre and the highway was cause for a rupture within the existing
urban tissue.
The objective of this project was to establish a coherent urban conception
for Saïx, by creating an integrated structure between the ZAC on
the periphery and the town centre, via the residential neighbourhoods,
especially that of the schools, situated between the two. The issue of
transportation, particularly, was pressing, as the main road going through
the original village had become congested and inappropriate for urban
use.
Saïx is situated in a rather spectacular position, on a promontory
jutting over the Agoût River. The work consisted in devising a plan
and linking up the spaces, from the town hall square, along the belvedere
following the Agoût, through the schools neighbourhood with its
public services and shops, to the ZAC des Martinelles and its professional
activities. |
