• NF Tertiary building – HQE Approach

Education office of Créteil wished to diversify the teaching of the Jean Jaurès highschool in Charenton-le-Pont, in order to incorporate ordinary streams of education. This project led the highschool to move by the Bois de Vincennes.

The designers of the Robert Schuman high school wanted to demonstrate the possibility of environmental quality in constrained environment.

Because of lack of land, the building is located on a triangular plot by a highway and a railway and combines acoustic and thermal ambitious goals. Means higher than the usual highschool’s budget were allocated to preserve the comfort of students and staff.

 

Sustainable development approach of the project owner

- NF Tertiary building – HQE Approach

The Region followed an environmental approach for this construction project in order to take full account of the acoustic constraints of the site and to maximize comfort. The region chose to be assisted by an HQE assistant to the contracting authority. The mandatory architect worked in joint-contracting with a specialized architect in environmental approach in order to ensure the integration of the project’s environmental principles.

The designers of Robert Schuman high school wanted to demonstrate the possibility of environmental quality in constrained environment. Because of the lack of land, the building is located on a triangular plot by a highway and a railway and combines acoustic and thermal ambitious goals. Means higher than the usual highschool budget were allocated to preserve the comfort of students and staff.

A double skin, connected to a large Canadian well located in the courtyard, contributes to the thermal performance of the building. The well was equipped with monitoring instruments so that its effectiveness can be measured and optimized. The roofs are partially grass-covered and supports 200 square meters of photovoltaic panels and a device for runoff water recovery.

GHG emissions:
Use of Canadian well to preheat the incoming air and ensure summer comfort (natural cooling) contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions. The high school is easily accessible by public transportation (RER A or bus).

Refrigerants without impact on the ozone layer

Energy Management:
- Envelope optimization with work on inertia and reduction of thermal bridges
- Acoustic and air quality constraints due to the proximity of the highway led to install of double flow ventilation.

Wise use of resources and waste reduction:
- Optimisation of consumptions for lighting thanks to efficient appliances and monitoring systems
.- Environmental impact assessment of materials has been conducted on the basis of four indicators (energy resources, climate change, atmospheric acidification and emissions of VOCs and formaldehyde). A very clear and detailed service record is contained in the final implementation file.
- Charter of green building site signed by all companies with estimation of the produced quantities, waste sorting organization and traceability of disposal by tracking waste document.

Visual comfort:
The whole building is equipped with large glazed surfaces. The project included studies on daylight factor (DF). Additional artificial light is managed by an automatic to complete natural light.

Thermal comfort:
Canadian wells contribute to the regulation of internal temperature during cold and heat peak.

Acoustic comfort:
Implementation of an acoustic double skin.

Social and spatial impact:
- Programming and design were led with the consideration of pollution caused by transportation routes along the plot.
- The green roof is a fifth frontage for the neighborhood.

Displacements’ diversity and increased mobility:
- A footbridge over the railway and owned by the SNCF has been opened to the public in order to connect the school to the city centre
- The high school is served by many lines of public transportation (metro and bus).
- According to the regulatory requirements, the building has a ramp access and lifts.

Qualities of use:
- The location of some rooms has been discussed with users. The school principal is involved in the technical aspects.
- The mission of the AMO includes a balance sheet in order to have a feedback about the equipment use.

Involvement of users could be reinforced through the project "Francilien Ecolycees" of the Region Ile de France.
- A presentation of the high school, including technical systems and its requirements in terms of use, has been provided to new students at the start of each academic year. The educational community has written a booklet that is distributed to them
- Some students work on technical devices (Canadian wells, solar panels) in the context of tutored personal work.

Architectural description

The building is laid out in a triangle around the yard while remaining visually open: a glazed double skin protects users from vehicles noise while providing wide views on the passing lanes and the rest of the city. The exterior façades welcome technical room, while teaching spaces are distributed around the yard. Acoustic constraint does not allow opened windows that’s why a mechanical ventilation system had to be integrated.