The site reserved for the future Institut Méditerranéen de la Ville et des Territoires (IMVT) is a highly strategic location: it enjoys a prime position in a developing urban landscape. It a “central part” of the ZAC Saint-Charles – Porte d’Aix development project, and plays a major role in the redevelopment of Place Jules Guesde. An essential question intrinsic to the project guided its design: “Limits”, as it considers the links between Urban Development, Architecture and Landscape; between Town and Country; between Inside and Outside; Visible and Hidden, the Past, Present and Future. The project is located on a steep plot, with no construction, which was previously home to trees and nature. In this context, the site could not be transformed without considering the vegetation. IMVT is designed by considering the building and vegetation as one – one not able to be designed without the other. The vegetation helps mark out the empty spaces and therefore the building. It is also found at block level as well as around the building, with a large greenhouse used by the school’s Landscaping department. Both a support, an envelope and an enclosure, the building is the same space as the garden. When considering vegetation, you also need to consider natural light, the sky and the sun. On a large scale, IMVT can be considered as an integral part of the urban design. In its approach, it has an autonomy and privileged relationship with its surrounding environment. One of the major challenges is to establish a major university facility in an urban organisation made up of accommodation and office units. It is an architecture, landscape and urban planning school. This is a completely different type of building and therefore requires architecture which makes it stand out, with the ambition of a certain modularity between developments and “connectivity” between the spaces. The structure has a large framework to encourage this modularity. The facades are load bearing and linked to concrete flooring. This helps limit the intermediate beams and leaves large rooms open for the school’s shared spaces. A collection of walkways act as sun protection, encouraging natural light, the sun’s rays and thermal comfort.