Archives

June 2010

Leading article

Haiti: CSTB's expertise available to local authorities

The French government has asked CSTB to perform an expertise mission in Haiti, with the objective of studying cooperation so that construction codes including earthquake design rules can be adopted. Two CSTB engineers visited Haiti from February 24 to March 3, 2010.

Sustainable town and building

The HOMES program has released homesprogramme.com, a forum for discussions about energy efficiency

The cooperative HOMES innovation program has presented its homesprogramme.com site offering a forum for discussions about energy efficiency.

MIPIM: from the physical model to the virtual model

The MIPIM, international real estate professionals market, was held in Cannes from March 16 to 19 2010 and brings together investors, building and real estate professionals, region, town and large conurbation decision makers. This was an occasion for the Sophia Antipolis Joint Association (SYMISA) to innovate by presenting a virtual model of development projects for the Science Park. CSTB provided this virtual model that is actually a genuine decision aid and communication tool converted for use as a promotion tool for the occasion.

The Ecohome, prototype house of the future, at the Shanghai universal exhibition

The Ecohome, a digest of technologies applied to habitat and possibly a future standard for houses in China, will be one of the highlights of the Shanghai universal exhibition in the sustainable construction sector. CSTB contributed to its design, alongside many industrial partners.

Architecture and innovation

Michel Cantal-Dupart: "Towards a new way of designing a town"

Michel Cantal-Dupart, architect and town planner, and Roland Castro, initiated the Banlieue 89 (Suburbs) mission. He is now participating in research work on Greater Paris, alongside Jean-Marie Duthilleul and Jean Nouvel. A look at a 2-hour conference organised by CSTB and Archinov that gave "Carte Blanche" to the professor of the Arts et Métiers National Conservatory, holder of the "town planning and environment" chair.

A different box: "La Platine" in the Cité du Design (Design Center)

After manufacturing goods such as cycles and arms, the town of Saint-Etienne is now turning towards innovation and the design culture. It asked Berlin's Finn Geipel and Giulia Andi Architect's Office to define a concept for a Design Center on the site of the former arms manufacturing facility. Let us look at this recently unveiled space designed specifically for industrial prospecting and for which CSTB has assessed the architectural innovation of the envelope of the main building called "La Platine".

Jean Bouin stadium: preliminary consultancy

Jean-Bouin stadium in the 16th district of Paris will be entirely rebuilt by the year 2013, to become a suitable home for the Stade Français, Paris's Top 14 rugby team. CSTB input its expertise at a very early stage in the preliminary study and preliminary design phase, in the context of a "design" ATEx that assessed an innovative façade and roof system.

Research

Instituts Carnot: a partnership research commitment

The 3rd edition of the Carnot Meetings took place in Lyon on May 5 and 6 2010. CSTB attended alongside other Instituts Carnot labelled research organisations to meet FMEs, large companies or regional communities and to assist them with their research and development work.

Controlled Health and Safety risks

Radon: a project for the protection of buildings and the public

Radon gas diffuses naturally in air. Confinement in buildings makes its concentrations inside buildings higher than outside. Its noxious effects on health have made it a priority across Europe. The General Directorate for Health and Protection of Consumers (DG SANCO) has thus initiated the European RADPAR (RADon Prevention and Remediation) program on radon in buildings.

A close look at smells

Pleasant or unpleasant odours? Strong or weak? Acceptable or not? All these questions are studied by ten partners in an European project that aims at developing a system for measuring the perceived air quality. Explanations.

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