Potted plants and doorways shaped like gardeners are dotted across the faceted La Vallée Verte housing in Bordeaux, France, recently completed by Dutch studio MVRDV.

The project on the northwestern edge of Bastide Niel, a former industrial area on the bank of the Garonne River, form part of a wider development being masterplanned by MVRDV.

Aligning with the goals of the wider redevelopment, the housing was designed to maximise people's access to sunlight and greenery, with a faceted form that encircles a courtyard.

"One of the key motivations of our Bastide Niel masterplan was to give this new piece of the city a sense of intimacy, shaping the district around historic traces to form a surprising network of cute streets, while the buildings are cut to give access to sunlight," said MVRDV founder Winy Maas.

"This leads to a roofscape like icebergs that echo the old city. Each architect should add their own interpretation, while staying within the rules," he continued.

"With La Vallée Verte, we cut the three blocks and added an explosion of greenery, achieving intimacy in another way: the green courtyard is like a secret world, almost separate from the rest of the neighbourhood; being there becomes a moment shared between the visitors and the residents."

La Vallée Verte comprises three buildings on a triangular plot. They surround a central courtyard, described by MVRDV as a "crater", which acts as a park-like space for residents.

Inside the trio of blocks are 70 homes in a range of sizes, planned to accommodate residents of all ages and family sizes.

Together, the faceted forms of the buildings are intended to resemble "a natural valley landscape", MVRDV said.

Their angled elevations are the result of suncuts – a parametric design method in which a building's massing is sliced and carved to maximise access to sunlight and minimise overshadowing.

La Vallée Verte's outward-facing facades are flat and tiled, while those facing the courtyard have full-height openings and loggias lined with plant pots holding a mix of shrubs and small trees.

To ensure the plants can be easily maintained, MVRDV has incorporated a route for professional gardeners through the balconies. This is defined by repeated openings and steel doors shaped like a person with a wide-brimmed hat, playfully resembling a stock image of a gardener.

Completing the project is a day-care centre on the ground floor of one of the buildings, an above-ground parking structure and porous landscaping.

La Vallée Verte is connected to a district heating system and utilises photovoltaic panels to meet some of its electricity needs. The interiors are pared-back, finished with white walls and wooden detailing.

The housing is not the first project by MVRDV with a geologicalesque formation. The studio also created the controversial Marble Arch Mound in London, the mountain-like Valley skyscraper in Amsterdam and the hill-like Ascension Paysagère housing in Rennes.

The photography is by Paul Lefevre unless stated otherwise.