Rehabilitation of detached houses based on the « factor 4 » is one of the main objectives of ODMIR 4 project supported by the Building Energy Foundation. Phénix houses are at the forefront of this project. The inauguration of the first rehabilitated house a few months ago in the commune of Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry (Seine-et-Marne), is one illustration of it. The profession recognised this rehabilitation by awarding it the prize for the best “renovated house”.
Why should real estate professionals and the investors continue to invest in sustainable development, despite a financial crisis that is expected to be severe and a barrel of oil costing less than 50 dollars? Why do things in advance, rather than wait? To help see things more clearly, Jean Carassus presented the stakes for the planet and summarised high energy and environmental efficiency construction models in the framework of a conference organised by the Real Estate & Prospects association at the Paris Commodities Exchange.
MEEDDAT contacted CSTB to write a state-of-the-art report on office tower buildings with remarkable sustainable development and energy performances. Twenty buildings were listed, and special observations were made on five of them.
Environmental quality has changed from a national to an international priority. The building sector is a large energy consumer, and is the leading sector concerned. An international network (SB Alliance) has been set up to homogenise practices and evaluation systems. This is firstly to assure that environmental quality is dealt with in common internationally, and no longer nationally, in order to maximise chances of success. In the meantime, the French HQE® certification of tertiary buildings also forms part of an approach to cross frontiers and will be exported to other countries in the future.