La Ruche is a participatory housing project in Bègles, France, and was described at its inauguration as the first completed project of its kind in Gironde. It comprises 11 homes in two buildings, developed through a collective design process involving 11 households.2 The homes were delivered in July 2016, following a project that began in 2012.34
Axanis, a housing cooperative and subsidiary of Aquitanis, was the project’s developer and lead contracting authority. The project was initiated with the City of Bègles and the Bordeaux-Euratlantique public development authority; CERISES supported the residents’ participation, and Dauphins Architecture designed the project.24 The future residents helped shape their homes and shared facilities during the design process.29
The buildings use timber-frame construction with straw infill, and include shared spaces such as a communal room, laundry facilities and a garden.34 The project combines different forms of tenure, including social home ownership and rental housing.811 Its shared facilities and resident-led design were intended to support collective use and neighbourly cooperation.49
La Ruche’s scope extended beyond constructing the 11 homes: Axanis coordinated project development, legal arrangements, design-team selection and construction oversight, with residents involved in the process.511 The project’s public partners and Axanis later launched a separate, larger participatory housing initiative in Bègles, planned for around 40 homes.2