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HQE (eco-building) and Sustainable Urban Renewal

ARENE assisted the Regional Council with the first implementation in France of the "HQE" (high environmental quality) approach to building a secondary school, the “Collège Maximilien Perret” (architect Maximiliano Fuksas), in Alfortville in 1997.

The "HQE" approach focuses on criteria for reducing consumption of natural resources and discharge of pollutants, as well as for enhancing the comfort and the health conditions of buildings. It concerns especially the design and the construction phases both of refurbishment projects and of new building projects.

To promote this approach among public authorities (county councils ("département"), municipalities ("communes"), social housing landlords) or private contracting authorities (banks, companies, developers), ARENE proposes innovative tools in the field of technical assistance, of networking and training of key players:

Examples of free services proposed by the ARENE


Conseil Express HQE

“Conseil Express HQE” (free advice on high environmental quality projects): technical assistance for local authorities or private investors in designing new or refurbishment projects with the aim of incorporating HQE principles into the building. This service, proposed and paid for in full by ARENE, assigns 3 experts to the contracting authority for one half day to give their opinions to it: an architect, a heat engineer and an economist demonstrate the feasibility of the eco-building project and the importance of environmental management system procedures. After the oral presentation, a written report:

  • summarises recommendations on the possible theme priorities (environmental target aspects - eco-design, eco-management, comfort and health) to cover in the project; and
  • describes the tangible steps for a successful eco-building project (e.g. overall cost approach taking account both of the maintenance and operation phases, and of investment).


This service helps the beneficiaries significantly in launching their eco-building projects on good foundations.

In all, ARENE provided more than 80 such “conseil express HQE” advice services since 2001 to local authorities, in particular for projects for schools, sports facilities, social housing… but also to private investors (research centres, hotels, business nurseries…). After hearing the team of experts, almost all of the contracting authorities decided to continue their project with an HQE approach, by making provision for the human and financial resources necessary to succeeding with such a project. The most decisive element often lies in good management of the operation as regards environmental management, and in consultation between the various players involved in all of the phases: local authorities, design team, engineering and design offices, construction firms, future users…

Info Plus HQE

A day for heightening HQE awareness with a presentation of best practices proposed to the technicians and the politicians in several municipalities of the Region. The awareness day is led by a specialist on environmental approaches to building, also with testimonies from other professionals. The programme for the day is set in close co-operation with the contracting authority. In addition to the description of the usual 14 targets of the HQE approach with the environmental management system, it proposes “à la carte” modules concerning specific topics of interest for the targeted group (10-20 persons): local Agenda 21 and spatial planning related to building operations, sports and leisure facilities, maintenance of social housing…

ARENE provides also forecasting surveys like

“HQE challenges for 2010 in the Ile-de-France Region”

The aim of that survey was to present the overall reduction in environmental impacts, the economic benefits on energy, waste, water, and greenhouse gas emission, and the job creation that would result from individual eco-building initiatives spreading in the period leading up to 2010.

By providing awareness-heightening and information tools to the various contracting authorities in the Region, ARENE is playing a leading role as an interface between the demand side, which has been growing rapidly over the last five years, and the supply side, i.e. mainly architects or engineering offices with specific skills in sustainable building, and, to some extent, building materials suppliers or contractors.

To take things further, those services and surveys are followed by various strategy forums (Forum regional HQE) run with all of the players in the construction project. The main themes are the contribution made in the future by the HQE building process to the sustainable development of the region (the local Agenda 21 broken down sector-by-sector), and the relationship between eco-building and sustainable planning and urban development or urban renewal.


World Sustainable Building 08


21 - 25 september - Melbourne


World Sustainable Building (SB) se tient tous les trois ans et rassemble les principaux chercheurs et experts techniques du monde entier en matière de construction durable.

With over 60 invited speakers and more than 500 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and participation from over 60 countries, the World Sustainable Building (SB) Conference series, which has been held every three years, is the peak gathering of the world’s leading technical experts and researchers on sustainable built environments.

ARENE Île-de-France takes part in the event and displays 2 panels describing a selection of exemplary development of sustainable buildings and planning in the Paris Region.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SB08 presents the leading-edge of an unprecedented change sweeping the industry towards sustainability :

  • Intelligent and restorative buildings
  • New and transformative building materials, including their life cycle analysis
  • Reports on green building markets across the globe


ARENE Île-de-France and its partners (association HQE – GT International, AFEX - French Architects Overseas, CSTB, and association QUALITEL) submit a report entitled Sustainable Building in France.

  • Integrated urban development
  • Behavioral change
  • Site visits of leading-edge Australian commercial, residential and industrial developments

 

 

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The 2005 international sustainable Building conference in Tokyo. Action for sustainability

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 10/11/2011