Simon De Cyrène Residence / TAA Toulouse

Architects: TAA Toulouse
Area: 1,998 m²
Year: 2025
Photography: Philippe Rol
Lead Architects: Pierre-Louis Taillandier
Associated Head of Project: Nicolas Wojcik
Client: GIE Garonne Développement (SA Les Chalets)
Location: Pibrac
Country: France

Completed in 2025 in Pibrac, France, the Simon de Cyrène Residence is an inclusive housing development designed by TAA Toulouse for GIE Garonne Développement (SA Les Chalets). Conceived as a shared living environment, the project accommodates adults with disabilities alongside volunteer assistants who actively participate in community life. The 1,998-square-meter building combines private studios with generous communal spaces that encourage daily interaction, mutual support, and social engagement. Organized across three levels that respond to the site’s topography, the residence integrates housing, shared amenities, and operational facilities within a coherent architectural framework. Situated near the Sainte-Germaine Basilica, the project carefully addresses its protected historic setting while reinterpreting the spatial qualities of a traditional cloister through contemporary architectural language. Brick façades, timber detailing, landscaped outdoor spaces, and accessible circulation routes contribute to an environment that promotes dignity, autonomy, and a strong sense of belonging. Through its emphasis on collective living and social inclusion, the residence offers a contemporary model for supportive housing rooted in community participation and everyday interaction.

Architecture is a form of expression that transcends mere functionality and draws from the full spectrum of society.
Interview with Marinell Van Wyk of Taillandier Architectes Associés – TAA

Simon de cyrène residence / taa toulouse

The Simon de Cyrène Residence demonstrates how architecture can transform housing into a platform for social connection. Rather than separating care from everyday life, the project is conceived as a place where residents with and without disabilities can build meaningful relationships through shared experiences, creating an environment that supports both individual independence and collective engagement.

Developed for the Simon de Cyrène Association and delivered by social housing provider Les Chalets, the residence is organized around a central communal living area that serves as the heart of the project. This shared space is strategically positioned to capture views across the valley while maintaining a direct relationship with the patio and outdoor gathering areas. The arrangement reinforces the project’s ambition to encourage informal encounters and foster a sense of community among residents.

Located adjacent to the Sainte-Germaine Basilica, the building occupies a site within a protected heritage context. TAA Toulouse responded by drawing inspiration from the cloister typology, not as a historical replica but as a contemporary reinterpretation of its spatial principles. The resulting composition emphasizes openness, visual continuity, and communal interaction, establishing a dialogue between the new development and its historic surroundings.

The building unfolds across three levels that adapt to the natural slope of the site. The lower level facing Ancien Chemin de Brax accommodates service functions and staff facilities, while the garden level contains the principal shared spaces, including kitchens, dining areas, lounges, and residential studios. The upper floor is dedicated entirely to private accommodation, ensuring a balance between opportunities for social interaction and the privacy required for daily living.

Material expression plays an important role in defining the character of the residence. Carefully detailed brickwork establishes a rhythmic façade articulated through the alternation of solid surfaces and glazed openings, while timber elements incorporated into the circulation galleries introduce warmth and human scale. Continuous walkways overlooking the internal garden provide accessible connections throughout the building and frame views toward the basilica park. Through this combination of contextual sensitivity, inclusive design, and architectural clarity, the Simon de Cyrène Residence presents a thoughtful model for contemporary communal housing.