Eole

Eole, headquarters integrated within the city and its landscape

Right at Paris’ doorstep, the Evergreen Campus hosts the Crédit Agricole’s head office. Multiple corporate entities share this space. The entire campus revolves around a central park that acts as its green lung. The conception of Eole - a 67 000 m² building made in four years - preserves and upholds the site’s environmental vocation: buildings operate in accordance with the HQE norms (high environmental quality), new structures were built according to the BBC norms (low consumption buildings), soft energies usage (geothermic, solar and rain water is reused), 4 hectares of green spaces valorized. Constructed in an 8-shape, Eole is built around two large quiet gardens. The building’s shape combines rationality, fluidity, continuity and organic unity. The workspaces open into the Campus, the gardens and the site’s streets. The exteriors are arranged in sequences relatively to their orientation in accordance with the park and the patios. Woven stainless steel strands partially cover them. They filter natural light and constitute a passive sun blocker. At garden-level five terraces offer genuine gardens that anyone can enjoy. Hanging decks at the heart of the building create more green spaces with flexible lines. Eole’s interior spaces have been designed so as to bring the building’s core light and clarity and allow guests to orient themselves easier. The atmosphere is contemporary and intemporal at the same time. By satisfying its requirements, Eole symbolizes the Crédit Agricole’s involvement in favor of sustainable development and the EverGreen Campus’ renewal. Arte Charpentier led the architecture, interior design and landscaping missions on the project.

Conception et Etudes Européennes de Façades Built within an existing site, the 67.000m² building had to fit perfectly into its urban surroundings, while respecting the scale of the site. The intention of Credit Agricole was to renew the site’s image, ensure the property’s coherence and generate links between buildings, employees and passers-by. Goal achieved for Eole due to a winning combination of ambition and excellence. Eole, thanks to its “green” vocation, has pushed its conceptors to seek new solutions in terms of comfort and sustainable design for an office building. Eole is one of the first offices building operations submitted to RT2012 standards, which results in taking into account all the bioclimatic aspects since the very beginning of its design.

Our mission as façade engineering and design office enters into the first phase for basic preliminary design in an environmental approach so as to come up to the required standards (RT2012, environmental labels such as BBC, HQE, BREEAM,…). CEEF took part in the upstream technical studies, enabling the definition of the structural scheme. Out of this first phase resulted a basic outline of the facades project in line with architectural and economic commitments.

CEEF has interacted with other engineering and design offices to refine the facades project according to the comments and expectations of Credit Agricole and of the architect. CEEF devised the cross sections sketches/drafts of the facades and established detailed estimates for external door and window frames, sun shading systems, external wall cladding and curtain walling. Besides, a high performance façade goes through regular maintenance and cleaning, CEEF was also in charge of the studies of suspended building maintenance units.

The choice was made to use external aluminium window frames equipped with thermal breaks coupled with external insulated masonry panel provided by an aluminium composite wall cladding. In order to reinforce the insulation, the selected products were Low E insulated glass for superior solar control fitted with warmedge thermal break spacer. For the users’ comfort, glazing remained neutral for providing maximum light transmission. These glazing units are associated with side hung concealed openings. CEEF carried out the technical studies of the selected processes, glazing thermal and static data analysis as well as detailed drawings in association with the architect and the other engineering and design offices in order to ensure the interface between work packages.

Hence, technical specifications for each typology has been drafted, essential elements of the call for applications procedure. These documents enabled façade companies to respond qualitatively to the Credit Agricole’s consultation in accordance with its funding envelope. CEEF analysed the companies’ tendering both technically and economically, and answered to the issues raised by the companies on several processes or suggested variants.

Once the contract requirements were finalised, CEEF kept up its mission with works’ monitoring and control during the implementation of the project. CEEF thus provided the project owner with ongoing support until the acceptance of completed work. A thoughtful design in favour of the environment, the choice to use sustainable and recyclable materials, a place of life within a work frame of an exemplary quality for its users : the campus has never been so well named “EverGreen”.