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Households come in myriad compositions, from single-parent families to multi-generational cohabitation and flat-sharing arrangements. Yet the design of housing too often fails to recognize these diverse and evershifting realities. The result, as STAR strategies + architecture says, is “standardized apartments that function as rigid ‘containers’ shaped by rules and budget constraints rather than the real needs of their inhabitants.” The firm’s START Ivry is an exuberant anomaly: This is housing that adapts to residents’ lifestyles with panache.

START Ivry consists of five buildings ranging from 12 to 18 floors with a mix of affordable and market-rate apartments — sometimes on the same floor. The suites are designed to change: They can be expanded; their kitchens can be relocated; bedrooms no longer in use can be transformed into rental studios; and more. The facades follow a “narrative” logic, reflecting both the programming of the ensemble and the layout of each unit. The finishes on the loggias and balconies — which energetically puncture the envelope and protrude in a multitude of guises — distinguish the various sections of each tower, while the vibrant window jambs are colour-coded based on their internal use. A dedicated “band” of communal areas and terraces, articulated as angular turquoise-hued spaces on the seventh floor of every building, enhances social interactions.

The project’s most compelling aspect, however, is its overhaul of the status quo. START Ivry was conceived as a model for a new paradigm in housing production. It is a proof of concept demonstrating the “inverse method” of how developments typically come together. In this approach, the municipality first selects the architectural team based on a methodological proposal, rather than visual renderings or a defined project. Then, the city invites four developers to compete for the project. It chooses the winner by weighing the methodological approach on equal footing with the financial proposal; for START Ivry, the architects note, the winner was not the lowest bidder but rather presented the best way forward for the project. The outcome proves that design is at its best when it challenges convention. That START Ivry does so in a joyous, eclectic and colourful package makes it a compelling case study for future developments.

Team: Beatriz Ramo and Danae Zachariaki with Bittor Arrillaga, Syeva Roest, Maria Castillo, Efraín Pérez Del Barrio, Javier Cuartero, Ivan Guerrero, Iris Ramas, Marc Coma, Geoffrey Clamour (STAR strategies + architecture); BOARD (Bureau of Architecture, Research and Design); SADEV94; SOGEPROM Réalisations; Ville d’Ivry-sur-Seine; COOP’Ivry, VALOPHIS, IN’LI; EDEIS; HOME Ingénierie; Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France; BTP Consultants; FONCIA; TOPAGER.