At La Cartoucherie, Toulouse's first eco-district, Eiffage Immobilier's works are nearing completion

In Toulouse, La Cartoucherie, the city's first eco-district, is being built on a former military and industrial site to the east of the historic centre. The project is led by urban planner Alain Marguerit.

What are the main features of the La Cartoucherie project?

Urban planner Alain Marguerit has put renewable energy at the heart of the project, with photovoltaic and solar panels as well as rooftop wind turbines. Active travel will be strongly encouraged, with bicycle hire and cycle lanes. To persuade people to use alternatives to the private car, car-pooling and car-sharing areas will also be provided.

The district is due to be completed in 2025, with work having begun in 2014. In total, the site will have 3,500 homes, 2 hectares of green space, 15,000 m² of public facilities, 78,000 m² of offices, 12,000 m² of higher education space and 7,000 m² of retail.

How does the Signature scheme fit into this eco-district?

At La Cartoucherie, Toulouse's first eco-district, Eiffage Immobilier's works are nearing completion – © Eiffage Immobilier — © Eiffage Immobilier

Work on Eiffage Immobilier's Signature scheme is coming to an end after four years on site. Designed by SCAU Architectes, the 110 homes and 2,000 m² of offices are spread across five buildings, four of them residential and one for offices.

The five buildings sit on a shared underground car park with bicycle stores. The scheme is wrapped in a light-coloured render and enlivened with golden cladding. It is a leafy, intimate residential setting, with generous balconies, terraces and private gardens. Green roofs are also a notable feature. The homes, which range from studios to five-bedroom flats, were handed over between July and August 2016 and have all found buyers.

The offices are due to be delivered in October 2018. They will be occupied by the Occitanie regional offices of Eiffage Construction and Eiffage Immobilier under a six-year firm lease taking effect on completion of the building. The building is targeting BREEAM certification.